


Always and Forever (Part One)

by ZaQueenOfRandom



Category: Undertale
Genre: I'm really bad at tagging, Sans is 18, Sans x oc - Freeform, Self-Hatred, Soulmates, but he's like 12ish, but i take forever to edit, don't wait up for part two, enjoy part one though, evelyn hates herself, i don't know how old for sure, i'm almost done writing it, idk what else to tag, it's gonna be awhile, just go with it, long story, oc is also a vampire, oc is physically 18ish, oc's name is evelyn, papyrus is a child, part one, sans x reader, slowburn, undertale - Freeform, well i guess it's more like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZaQueenOfRandom/pseuds/ZaQueenOfRandom
Summary: While being chased by hunters, Evelyn, a 2000 year old vampire, stumbles upon Mt. Ebbot. In order to escape the hunters' pursuit, she climbs the mountain and falls into the world of monsters. Fearing for the safety of the monsters, she hurries to find her way out of the Underground. Along the way she meets a certain skeleton who turns her world upside down.~~~~~Sorry for my poor summary skills. This is my first real fanfiction so please have a read and share some feedback. Thank you and enjoy~





	1. Chapter 1

I am being hunted. They have been following me for what seems like an eternity; I have lost count of the years. They killed the ones I was traveling with, my closest and only friends. They think I am like them. They think I am their equal. They are wrong. There is nothing they can do to me. I am not like the others. They cannot kill me. However, they are unaware of this fact, for they refused to listen when I tried to explain it to them.

Hunters, though their outward appearance is similar, are not the same as normal humans. They are a specific breed of magic folk specially trained to track and kill “supernatural” creatures such as myself. I can smell the magic coursing through them whenever they are near. Their blood is mouth-wateringly appealing. I cannot feed on them, though, for it will bring upon their death. I do not want to kill them. I do not want to kill anyone else. I despise myself for what I am. I hate the fact that I am a predator. I never wanted to be… I know if I let these hunters near me, my predatory instincts will take over, and they will surely perish. That is why I _must_ run from them.

  
There is never much time to feed when you are being chased by hunters so I am always achingly thirsty. My diet does not help. Animal blood is simply not satisfying enough. Even though my speed is immeasurable, they always manage to catch up to me within a day if I stop to hunt. I imagine it is because of the enchantments. I do not leave a trail to follow, but their own hunting instincts give them the advantage of pinpointing my location.

  
I wish the hunters were not so persistent; it is less than desirable. I wish they would leave me alone. They stole away my only happiness, and they never stop pursuing me. I just want to be alone. The only way to get rid of them would be to kill them, but I refuse to do that. I don’t want to hurt anyone, even if they deserve to be hurt. Besides, there would be no point. When one hunter dies, a new one is born to replace them. It seems as if I will never be rid of them.

  
As I run from the hunters, I stumble upon Mt. Ebott, a place haunted with rumors of monsters and lost children. The rumors began many centuries ago, after the great war between monsters and humans. Though the monsters fought valiantly, the humans overpowered them and sealed them underground with magic. That much is fact; I had seen this war with my own eyes. It has been said that if you climb Mt. Ebott, you will fall into the monster realm and be lost forever. I do not know if this part is true, but I do know that Mt. Ebott is linked with many disappearances. Over the years, six children have dared to climb this mountain. None of them have returned.  
I can hear the hunters in the distance. I look at the mountain then back in the direction of the hunters. Any fate brought by this mountain would be better than the one brought by the hunters; thus, I elect to climb it. Perhaps it can bring upon my death, though I do not have faith it will. As far as I am aware, the only thing that can kill me is a being of greater power than myself, but I have not encountered such a creature in a very long time.

  
Not far into my hike, a strange feeling comes over me, like I am being pulled forward. Something is drawing me farther and farther up the mountain. I no longer have any control over my body. I can hardly think. The only thing I am aware of is the compelling force pulling me up the mountain. Before I know it, I am falling down a gaping hole somewhere on the mountain. I fall further and further into the earth. Suddenly, everything goes black.

* * *

  
My senses slowly come back to me. The ground beneath me is soft and fragrant. My throat burns with thirst. I open eyes to find myself lying in a bed of golden flowers. Sitting up, I try to recall how exactly I got here. I vaguely remember my decision to climb Mt. Ebott, but the events that followed are fuzzy, and it makes my head spin when I try to conjure up something more clear.

  
Brushing my long hair out of my eyes, I gaze around to get a grasp at my surroundings. I appear to be in some kind of cave. The walls are made of smooth, dark stone. The the same stone makes up the floor aside from the small patch of flowers I currently rest on. A very dim light shines from somewhere far above me, too far for me to reach were I to jump. A short hallway stands about a meter or so to my right, and the stone grows darker as the hallway turns a corner. I can see no way obvious way to return to where I had come from.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Is this what happened to everyone, _ I think, walking down the short hallway. It leads to a doorway, providing access to a small room with darker stone for the walls and floor. In the middle of the room in a small patch of grass is a single yellow flower much like the ones in the first room. However, this one has a face. I tilt my head in curiosity and walk up to it. 

“Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower,” says the overly enthusiastic flora. I raise my eyebrows, slightly taken aback by its voice. I have never come across a talking flower in all my days of existence as talking flowers are not exactly a common occurrence.

“Hello, Flowey. My name is Evelyn. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,”   I greet. 

“Hmmmm. You’re new to the Underground, arentcha?” 

“It is that obvious, is it not.”  

“Golly, you must be so confused!” 

“Only slightly. Do you know of a way out?”  

“I sure do! You gotta cross the barrier in the king’s castle! But first, someone really ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little ol’ me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!” Before I have a chance to respond, I feel a sharp tugging in my chest which leaves me breathless. A black heart with small twinkles of white is pulled out of my chest. A simple  melody plays in the background, and I ponder its whereabouts.  

“See that heart? That is your Soul, the very culmination of your being! Your Soul starts off weak, but it can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV,” says Flowey

“L V? As in level?”  I question, tilting my head to the side again.

“Of course not, silly! LV stands for LOVE!  You want some LOVE, don'cha? Don’t worry I’ll share some with you,” says Flowey with a wink. A small circle of seed-like pellets appear around him.  “Down here, LOVE is spread through little white  _ friendliness pellets _ . Go ahead and move around! Catch as many of them as you can!” 

The atmosphere suddenly feels  _ off _ , but I cannot put my finger on why. There should be no reason for Flowey to lie about the friendliness pellets. I trust my instinct, though, so instead of moving to catch the “friendliness pellets,” I quickly step out of the way of the oncoming pellets. The melody slows ever so slightly, and Flowey’s friendly face turns into one of annoyance.

“Hey buddy, you missed them. Let’s try again.” Another round of pellets fly towards me, this time slightly faster. These, too, I avoid. Again, the melody slows.  “Is this a joke? Are you brain dead? RUN. INTO. THE. bULLETS!  Uhh.. friendliness pellets!”

“What are you playing at, Flowey?”  The melody slows to where it sounds rather creepy. 

“I see how it is. So you’ve figured it out, huh? ” Bullets fly at me from behind. They might have collided with me had I not heard the air whistle around them. I easily step out of the way before they make impact.

“Stop that! Stop avoiding all my attacks! Just die already!”

“That is actually impossible, for, you see, I can be killed by the likes of you. Besides, even if I could die, what fool with any sense of self-preservation would walk right into their death by listening to you?”  Flowey hisses at my words. A ring of bullets, larger than before, materialize around the him. 

“Alright, fine. Have it your way. Try to kill me.”  I stand my ground.

His face contorts into a ghastly grin.  “You idiot! In this world, it’s kill or be killed! Why would anyone pass up an opportunity like this?!”  The bullets fly toward me, closing in around my Soul.  “Die!”  They hit me, and it kind of tickles. Flowey tries again and again, growing more frustrated with each attack. 

“What is wrong with you!? No human can survive my attacks!”

“Is it not obvious, or do you simply lack the basic skill of observation? I am not a human.”  Flowey glares at me with murderous intent. Yet another ring of bullets, considerably larger than all the others, materialize and surround me. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a fireball slams into Flowey, sending him flying. The melody stops, and my Soul finds its way back into my chest. Where did _that_ come from? I look around for the source of the fireball. 

An anthropomorphic goat creature with garnet red eyes and soft-looking, snow-white fur walks up to me. They wear a purple dress with long white sleeves and an unfamiliar symbol on the chest area. 

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth,” she huffs. I take a small step back. A talking flower and a talking goat all in one day is a lot to take in even for someone like me. 

“Ah, do not be afraid, my child,”  the goat coos, mistakenly assuming my step back was out of fear. “I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this area every day to see if anyone has fallen down. Usually they are humans. I have never seen something like you before. I am not even sure what you are. It does not matter, though. You have fallen so I will help you. Come! I will guide you through the catacombs.” I nod slowly, and Toriel gently takes my hand, leading me away. 

How peculiar. Toriel knew that I am not human, yet Flowey had not. What is different about them. There is an obvious difference in magic intensity between the two, but I feel as though there is something more to it than a simple difference in power. I push my thoughts aside as Toriel guides me through a series of puzzles, explaining each of them to me. All the while the burning thirst nags at me, trying to get me to feed on anything in the area. 

We eventually come upon a long corridor, and Toriel asks me to walk across the room by myself before running to the other side of of the corridor. I do not say anything as she hurries away. I can see her hide behind a pillar which she probably believes is too far away for me to see. I take this as a chance to get away to feed _.  _ I desperately hope there is some kind of normal animal down here. Feeding on any of the anthropomorphic animals would be severely against my morals. 

The burning only worsens as I stand here thinking about feeding. I speed through the corridor and past Toriel. I run until I find myself unable to go on. The thirst is unbearable. It does not help that everything down here is full of magic-laced blood. It has been weeks since I last was able to feed. Damn those hunters for making it so difficult. Damn this curse that burdens me! I stop and collapse in a corner, curling up with my knees to my chest. My hands fly to my neck as I pant, trying hard not to think of the painfully hot sensation raging in my throat.  __

“Are you okay?” asks a voice. I look up and see a frog-like creature sitting in front of me. _It’s called a froggit,_ says a voice in my head. The smell of the its blood is… is _overwhelming_. I lose all sense of self control, and before my brain can register my movements, I have already snatched up the froggit and plunged my fangs into it. It is drained within seconds, turning into dust as it dies. _It tastes_ _so good_. The blood has completely satisfied my thirst.

My face falls immediately as I realize what I have just done. I just  _ killed _ someone! I just ended their entire existence! And for what? So I could soothe a burn in my throat? How  _ selfish _ of me! They had their whole life ahead of them! They probably had a family and friends who cared about them! How could I have commit such a terrible crime again? I should have kept control over myself! I slam my fist against wall which causing it to crumple, creating a gaping hole in it. Guilt weighs heavily on my Soul as I sit there. Eventually I hear Toriel calling, pulling me out of my loathsome thoughts. She sounds close. 

“My child? Where are you, my child?” I do not want to face her, not after what I have done, but I have a feeling she knows how to get out of here. I move to a different area of the Ruins so Toriel does not see the dust from the froggit. I sit in the new corner with my forehead to my knees, waiting for her to find me. It does not take long. Toriel’s worried face relaxes when she finds me. 

“There you are,” she says, her voice filled with relief.  “Why did you run off, my child?” Quickly coming up with an excuse for running off, I look up from my position and pretend like I had been crying, which is not difficult considering how I feel at the moment. 

“I-I got scared,”I say, faking a whimper. 

“Please do not be afraid, my child. I will not let any harm come upon you,” Toriel says. She offers her fluffy, white paw to help me up. I feign hesitation before taking her hand anyway. Toriel leads me down another series of hallways and more puzzles until we finally arrive at a small house with a leafless tree in front. She brings me inside, still holding my hand. Toriel shows me to my “new room” and pats my head before going off in the opposite direction. 

I cannot understand why she is being so nice to me. This entire time she has treated me as if I am her own child. She does not even know me. Even if she did, and she knew what I am, it feels as though she would not treat me any differently. I cannot understand. I just… cannot understand. 

“Oh, hello, my child!” she says as I walk in. “Did you want to hear about the book I am reading? It is called  _ 72 Uses for Snails _ . How about it?”

“Uh, no, thank you,”  I say, faking a stutter to keep up my act of timidness. 

“Oh, okay then. Did you want something?”

“I was just, um, wondering... When can I go home?”

“What? This _is_ your home now. H-how about an exciting snail fact?” replies Toriel, quickly attempting to change the subject. “Did you know that snails. . . Sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature?” “That _is_  interesting, but really. How do I exit the Ruins?”  I ask again. Toriel grows serious.

“I have to do something. Stay here,” she says firmly. I follow Toriel down to the basement, ignoring her order.

“You wish to know how to return ‘home,’ do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins, a one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now, be a good child and go upstairs,” Toriel says. Any previous nervousness is replaced by somberness.

“Wait! You cannot do that!”  I protest as Toriel walks forward. She stops further up ahead. 

“Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naive child... If you leave the Ruins, they,  _ Asgore _ , will kill you. I know that you are not a human, but you have a very powerful Soul. Asgore will most certainly kill you for it. I am only protecting you. Go to your room.”

“You do not understand,”  I persist. 

“Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning.”

“But…”  I follow her to the end of the corridor. 

Toriel sighs.  “You want to leave so badly? You are just like the others,”  she says sadly.  “There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive.” 

“What?”I ask. Before I can get my answer, I feel the familiar yank in my chest. A new melody plays in the background. My twinkling black Soul appears in front of us. Toriel gives a look of sadness at the sight of my Soul. However, she does not say anything as the fight begins. Orbs of fire exactly like the one that knocked Flowey away begin toward fly at me from all directions. I quickly move out of the way. I can tell that my agility surprises Toriel, but she continues to attack, and I continue to dodge. Toriel stops for a moment. She seems to be waiting for something. Perhaps she is giving me a chance to fight back.

“What are you doing?”  Toriel say.

“I do not want to fight.” 

“Attack or run away!” I do neither. 

“What are you proving this way?” I still do not attack.  “Fight me or leave!” I shake my head _. _

“I am not going to fight you.” 

“Stop it.”

“Please do not make me fight you. I do not want to hurt anyone,”   I cry, worrying she will not stop attacking until I defeat her.

“Stop looking at me that way.”

“I do not want to fight.”  

“Go away!”

I shake my head again.  “I will not.” 

Toriel falls silent for a moment.  “I know you want to go home, but…” Her attacks stop.  “But please... go back upstairs. I promise I will take good care of you here. I know we do not have much but, we can have a good life here.”

“I am sorry. I cannot stay here.”

“Why are you making this so difficult?” It hurts me to see Toriel so upset. Honestly, I would love to stay. With her, I would not have to deal with the hunters anymore. I would have a home, a family. I might be happy again, but I cannot stay. I am a danger to the monsters here. I do not want to hurt anyone else.  “Please…Go upstairs…”

“Please believe me when I say I would love nothing more than to stay with you, Toriel. There is nothing for me on the Surface. Howbeit, I cannot remain here. I have my reasons for leaving, and sadly, they overrule any reason for me to stay. My deepest regrets and apologies.”  

Toriel sighs.  “Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even one child.” Tears form in her eyes. Why must I be such a terrible creature? I  _ really _ want stay.  “I understand, though. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this.  My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... For you, my child, I will put them aside.” It breaks my heart to hear her say this. Toriel hugs me. I cry alongside the sweet, motherly goat lady, though my eyes produce no tears. I do not want to leave. 

“Goodbye, my child,” says Toriel, releasing me from the hug. She walks back the way we came. 

“Goodbye, Toriel,”  I say quietly. I slowly open the door to exit the ruins. Through the door is room with the dark stone as before. In the center of the room is that bothersome talking flower. 

“Clever, Verrrryyy clever,” says Flowey. 

“What do you want, Flowey?”  My voice is heavy and tired.

“You think you’re  _ really _ smart, don’t you?” He drips with sarcasm. “So you were able to play by your own rules, huh? You spared the life of a single person,” Flowey continues.

“I do not care what you have to say right now, _Flowey_. I’m not in the best mood at the moment. Please, just let me be.”

“Hee hee hee, don’t act so cocky.  _ I  _ know what you  _ did _ . You  _ murdered _ that froggit.”  Flowey grins evilly. I glare. 

“Listen here, Flowey. I _never_ wanted that. I _never_ wanted any of this. I would give anything to have not done what I did. So you can taunt me all you want, but that will not change what happened or how I feel about my actions.”

“No,  _ you  _ listen here! In this world, it’s kill or be killed! I am the prince of this world’s future and I- hey! where the are you going?!”

“Away from here. I am not in the mood to deal with you, right now. Besides, I have better things to do than listen to your ridiculous philosophical speeches.”

“Hey, come back here! I’m not done talking! This isn’t the last you’ll see-” 

His voice is cut off by the heavy door to the exit.


	3. Chapter 3

There is a gust of wind as I exit the Ruins. It is snowing. Odd. I suppose it should be cold considering the snow, but temperature has never bothered me. I could be unclothed in Antarctica without feeling cold or have thirty layers of clothes on in the desert without so much as sweating.

I step through the door, and walk forward on snowy path. It comes to my attention that I am being followed. They have a strange smell, and I can sense strong magic in whatever it is. I keep walking, hoping they will leave me alone. Eventually, I come to a bridge with my pursuer still close behind. Without warning, I feel myself freeze. No matter how hard I try I cannot move even one finger. I can feel the thing’s breath on my neck when it catches up to me.

**“H u m a n… D o n ' t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o  g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l?** **T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d,”** His voice is deep and smooth but still that of someone young. The invisible grip keeping me in place fall aways upon the ending of the entity’s sentence. Slowly I turn around to face whatever just spoke. Some kind of shadow blocks full view of his face. I cautiously reach out to shake his hand.

 

**_Pbfbfbbbfbbbfbbbbfbbbfbbbfbfbfbfbbfbbbfbbfbbbbbbbbbbfbbfbt_ **

 

The shadow disappears from around the being as a loud fart comes from his hand. Uhh... What? I do not have time to get a good look at being because the initial shock of the fart wears off, and I cannot stop myself from bursting into laughter.

“heheh… the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s _always_ funny.”

“Why am I laughing at this? It is so childish,”  I manage to say in between my giggles.

“and yet here you are... huh, you’re not actually human, are you,” the being states, knowingly. My laughter subsides at his comment.

“You are correct. I am not a human,”I say, getting a better look at the being. He is a rather short skeleton, several centimeters shorter than my 160. The skeleton wears a too-large, blue hooded coat with white fluff around the hood over a white t-shirt, black basketball shorts with a white stripe down either side and fuzzy, pink slippers. He has a seemingly-permanent lazy grin plastered on his round skull. Two white pinpricks of light act as pupils in his dark eye sockets. As soon as I see him, a powerful feeling, almost like a hurricane blowing straight through my Soul, rushes over me. It is... _breathtaking_ … _overwhelming_. I find myself struggling to contain this feeling.

“heh. i knew it,” says the skeleton. “so anyways,” he says through his teeth. “i’m sans. sans the skeleton.” How peculiar it is that he need not open his mouth to speak. Then again, humans do it with ventriloquism so perhaps it is not so peculiar after all.

“I am Evelyn, Evelyn the, um, not-human... It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  I smile. Sans’ lazy grin turns into a genuine smile.

“the pleasure is mine,” he replies. “so, if you don’t mind me asking, since you’re not a human, what _are_ you? you’re not like any monster _i’ve_ ever seen.” My smile falls. I’m a despised creature among humans. It is most likely the same for monsters. If he knew what I am, he would surely run as far away from me as possible. My Soul aches at this thought. I cannot understand why. Why should I care what this skeleton thinks of me? I met him literally five seconds ago. Still, my Soul clenches at the thought of Sans hating me.

“Um… Well… I-I... uh… I-”  Before I can get an answer out, I am interrupted by a booming voice.

"SANS!" I turn my head to see a taller skeleton with a thinner skull. He also has a seemingly permanent smile glued to his face. However, the corners of his jaw seem to suggest a frown. The new skeleton is much taller than Sans, standing at about 182 centimeters. He wears a white chest plate with gold trim and a strange symbol on the left side; orange-red gloves, trimmed with golden felt; a worn, orange-red scarf; blue briefs with a golden belt; and knee-high, orange-red boots.

“IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T-” He stops mid-sentence. “I-IS THAT A HUMAN!?!”

“no,” Sans says.

“OH,” the new skeleton mumbles, obviously disappointed, but his mood perks up in an instant. “WELL, HELLO, NOT-HUMAN.”  

“Hello,”  I greet back.

“I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WHAT IS YOUR NAME, NOT-HUMAN?”

“My name is Evelyn. It is a pleasure to meet you, Papyrus.”  

“WELL, EVELYN NOT-HUMAN, IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE MEETING YOU AS WELL, BUT I’M AFRAID I MUST GET BACK TO WORK. MY BROTHER NEEDS TO GET BACK TO WORK, TOO”

“but i’ve already done a ton of work, today. a skele-ton,” Sans jokes with a wink. I snort while trying to hold back laughter. Puns have always been a weakness of mine. It would appear to have had the opposite effect on Papyrus.

“SAAAANS!”

“come on. you’re smiling.”

“I AM, AND I HATE IT! JUST GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZYBONES!” says Papyrus. “GOODBYE, NOT-HUMAN!”  

“See you later, Papyrus,”  I wave, still giggling. It is truly strange; Sans could tell I am not human, but Papyrus could not. What is different between Sans and Papyrus? The same question can be asked about Toriel and Flowey. My thoughts are interrupted by Sans.

“so, about my question.”

“What question?”  I ask, trying to avoid the subject. I know perfectly well what he is asking.

“wow. you must have really poor memory. as i asked earlier, if you’re not human, what are you?”

“Oh… That question… Th-that information is classified.”  I look away.

“come on. please?” His expression is pure curiosity. I shift uncomfortably.

“I _really_ do not like talking about.”  

“plllllllleeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeee?”

“Please. Do not make me say it… I hate what I am _.”_   

“ya gotta give me _something._ my curiosity is killin me here.”

“I said **_no_ **.” I growl angrily. Sans’ permanent smile falls enough to tell that he is no longer actually smiling. A hint of fear flashes across his eye sockets. I gasp. “I-I am sorry! I did not mean to snap at you! Oooh...”  I bury my face in my hands and run off, not staying long enough to read his new expression.

“hold on a second. come back,” he calls, but I do not stop running until I reach a clearing in the forest. I fall to my knees under a tree on the edge of the clearing, my hands covering my face. I am such an idiot.


	4. Chapter 4

**sans**

 

What the hell… What was that wave of fear that came over me? It felt unnatural…  Still, I feel bad for pushing her so much. I should’ve stopped when she asked. Man, I’m such an idiot. I need to go apologize. I follow her footprints into the forest. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was miles away by now. She practically teleported with the speed she ran at. Her footprints go deep into the forest. I walk for a while, using my magic to teleport when her footprints go straight. 

As I continue to follow her footprints, I begin to hear a music box playing just up ahead. It gets louder as I go farther. I see Evelyn sitting under a tree. Her Soul, which seems to be the source of the music, is out in front of her. I’ve never seen a Soul like hers before. It’s black and sparkly. I didn’t know that Souls  _ could _ sparkle. I immediately feel worse. Black is the Soul trait of Pain and Grief. She must have been through a lot to get such a trait. Even so, she still has some hope left although it’s not a lot. The sparkles are white which is the Soul trait of Hope. They fade in and out in a random order. Despite its symbolism of pain, her Soul is beautiful. I just wanna-  _ Stop that!  _ I smack the side of my skull in an attempt to get rid of such thoughts. Souls, being literally everything you are... are, well, erm, not really something random strangers should be looking at with the exception of battles. 

I hide behind one of the trees, doing my best not to look. The music continues, and Evelyn starts singing. Her voice is… wow. It’s like an angel. 

 

**Ever on and on I continue circling**

**With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony**

**Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing**

**And suddenly I see that I can't break free**

 

**I am slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity**

**With nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony**

**To tell me who I am, who I was**

**Uncertainty enveloping my mind**

**Till I can't break free**

**And**

 

**Maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real**

**But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel**

  
  


**So I'm tired of all the pain, all the misery inside**

**And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night**

 

**You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go**

**But I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know**

 

**If I make another move there'll be no more turning back**

**Because everything will change and it all will fade to black**

 

**Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night?**

**Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light?**

 

**Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go?**

**I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know?**

 

**Can I take another step? I've done everything I can**

**All the people that I see I will never understand**

 

**If I find a way to change, if I step into the light**

**Then I'll never be the same and it all will fade to white**

 

**Ever on and on I continue circling**

**With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony**

**Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing**

**And suddenly I see that I can't break free—**

 

**I am slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity**

**With nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony**

**To tell me who I am, who I was**

**Uncertainty enveloping my mind**

**Till I can't break free**

**And**

 

**Maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real**

**But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel**

 

**So I'm tired of all the pain, all the misery inside**

**And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night**

 

**You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go**

**But I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know**

 

**If I make another move there'll be no more turning back**

**Because everything will change and it all will fade to black**

 

**If I make another move, if I take another step**

**Then it all would fall apart. There'd be nothing of me left**

 

**If I'm crying in the wind, if I'm crying in the night**

**Will there ever be a way? Will my heart return to white?**

 

**Can you tell me who you are? Can you tell me where I am?**

**I've forgotten how to see; I've forgotten if I can**

 

**If I opened up my eyes there'd be no more going back**

**'Cause I'd throw it all away and it all would fade to black**

 

Wow… I have no idea what to say… I never thought anyone could feel that much pain and hatred. My own Soul aches with empathy. I feel even worse for having pushed her so much to tell me what she is. 

“I know you are there, Sans. You might as well come out,”  she says. _Busted._ I come out from behind the tree and walk up to Evelyn. “Why did you follow me?”

“um, well, i- i came here to apologize.” 

She sighs. “Thank you, but it does not matter. Forgive me for this. It is much better this way.”  Before I have a chance to ask what she’s talking about, Evelyn stands up and looks directly into my eye sockets. She starts to say something, and everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Bad Apple English Lyrics by Pat McCarthy
> 
> (Please correct me if I got the credit wrong. I'm not sure how reliable my source is)


	5. Chapter 5

**Evelyn**

 

I feel dramatic singing that song, but it had always helped me feel better in the past so I do not particularly care. I smell Sans nearby, but I do not bother to stop singing on his account. However, I do make sure not to let it affect him.

“I know you are there, Sans. You might as well come out,”  I say when my Soul reenters my chest. He walks over to me from where he was hiding. “Why did you follow me?”

“um, well, i- i came here to apologize.” 

I sigh. “Thank you, but it does not matter. Forgive me for this. It is much better this way.”  I stand up and look Sans directly in the eyes or rather eye sockets. “You will not remember any of this, not even meeting me.”  I appreciate his apology, but I believe it would be better for him not to remember me. As soon as I finish my sentence, I disappear from his sight.

I almost never use compulsion. Just because I _can_ make anyone do what I want or think whatever I want them to think or mess with someone’s memory, does not mean that I _want_ to. It is not right to take away someone’s free will. I feel bad for using it on Sans, but I do know it is better this way. Besides, it is not as if I will ever see him again. The thought hurts for some reason.

When I leave Sans, I push away all thoughts of him and return my thoughts of finding a way out of the Underground. I am a danger to every monster down here because of the magical blood they are filled with. Dealing with the hunters on the surface is better than hurting any of the monsters down here. At least I can run from the hunters’ magic blood. I am actually quite surprised that I am not thirsty at all. I do not believe that has ever been the case since becoming… what I am. I had no idea that monster blood was so satisfying. I cringe at the memory of the poor Froggit I killed. Hopefully my thirst does not return for the remainder of my stay here.

I wish I was not such a terrible creature. Every chance to be happy I have ever had has been ripped away from me because of this cruse. If I were not this terrible creature, none of my friends would have been killed by hunters. If I were not this terrible creature, I could have stayed with Toriel. If I were not this terrible creature, I could have been happy down here. Instead, I have to find my way out as soon as possible so I do not have to hurt any of the monsters, and when I get back, I have to continue running from hunters until the day the sun swallows the earth. I wish I did not have to deal with the thirst. It often feels like the universe  _ wants _ me to suffer, presenting to me with what I long for and knowing I can never have it. 

I need a moment alone before I start my journey out of her so I find a nice quiet place to hide away. A tall tree makes for the perfect place. Heights and singing have always been able to make me feel better. I would sing right now, but I do not want any more accidental audiences. I am not far from a large group of monsters, most likely from a nearby town. No one is close enough to hear me at the moment, but I am close enough to them that someone could easily wander into the forest and hear me. 

I sit on the highest branch that can hold my weight and stare at the ceiling of the Underground. Stalactites cling to it, occasionally dripping small drops of water which turns to snow before it reaches the ground. I use this time alone to sort out my thoughts. I might have died from the fall, but if I did not, I would stay with Toriel. I did not have much in the way of family. My father and I had been really close, but he was killed when I was young. I was never very close to my mother. She remarried within a month of my father’s death. Her new lover often abused me, but she was too blinded by love to notice, or perhaps she simply did not care. There would not have been much for me on the Surface no matter what. If I were human, I would stay with Toriel. She would be my new mother, and I would be happy. How I wish that is how things turned out. Instead, I am here in a tree with neither family, friends, nor happiness. 

Soon the world around me darkens, a signal that it has become night. The entire Underground is a few shades darker to my eyes. The fact that day and night exists in the Underground is a surprise. There is obviously not a sun under the ground. Magic is most likely the answer since it is literally everywhere down here. The night feels short and it meets its untimely end at the brightening of the Underground.

Time to go now, I guess. I jump down from my branch and walk towards the town. I admire the scenery as a go. It is quite beautiful down here. Honestly, it is much nicer down here than it is on the Surface. The colors seem more vibrant and joyful. Multiple puzzles decorate the ground in the snow-covered forest. I do not bother to complete them, knowing it will only waste time. After a while of walking, I find the small town. A large banner informs me that the town is known as Snowdin. I chuckle quietly to myself at the pun that is the town’s name. I do not go far into the town before stopping. I see a group of monsters closing in around Papyrus.

“Hehehe! How old  _ are _ you?” sniggered one.

“He’s gotta be less than ten,” said another. 

“What a stupid outfit! Where’d ya get it? From the baby store?” Anger swells inside me. It infuriates me that anyone can go as low as to bully someone else, especially someone younger than them. Their insults are not even good! I puff up my cheeks and stormed over to them. 

“Just what do you think you are doing? Do you not have anything better to do?”  I turn to Papyrus and whisper, “Now is your chance to escape.”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME, NOT-HUMAN! THESE MONSTERS HAVE JUST LOST THEIR WAY A LITTLE AND NEED SOME GUIDANCE TO GET BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK!” 

Papyrus, you are too innocent. “Trust me, I will take care of this”   

“WOWIE! THAT’S SO NICE OF YOU!” 

“Yes, yes, I am very nice. Now, go!”

“BYE-BYE, NOT-HUMAN AND NOT-SO-FRIENDLY MONSTERS!” After I know that Papyrus is out of earshot, I turn back to the monsters whom have surrounded me. 

“Well now. Look what you’ve done. You chased away our playmate. Guess you’ll have to fill in for him.” The closest one pushed me, but I did not budge. I stare them down, growling softly. 

“Oh! Are you a doggie? Does the doggie wanna play?” They close in, and I bare my teeth. I feel my eyes change.

“H-hey, what’s with her eyes?” one of them asks nervously. My irises can turn red as way of intimidating and warning anyone around me to back off if they do not want to get hurt. 

“Who cares? Let’s just get her!” Thomas Paine was right; it appears that common sense is not very common. The one who spoke throws a punch at me, and I twist around him so his back end up toward me. Using a technique informally known as nerve striking, I take my turn. There are certain pressure points on the body that when hit with a certain amount of force, can temporarily leave a person paralyzed. I learned it as a way (when necessary) to fight without inflicting any actual damage to the other person. I am not sure if it will work on monster the same way, but it is worth a shot. I slitter through the attacking monsters, striking pressure points as I go. One-by-one they drop to the ground. 

“What the hell did you do to us?!”

“Relax, it is not permanent. Now, next time you think about picking on someone, I would strongly advise ignoring these thoughts. If I ever catch you messing with anyone again, I will not show so much mercy. Do you understand me?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!” they whimper.

“You had better,”   I huff. I turn around to leave.

“Wait! Are you just gonna leave us here?”

“That was the plan. You should be able to move again in anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Someone else will probably find you before then.”

“Oh. Uh, okay.”

“Good day to you. No more fighting.”   I turn once more and walk toward the other side of the town.

“OH! HELLO AGAIN, NOT-HUMAN!” someone shouts. Looking in their direction, I find Papyrus waving and sprinting over to me.

“Hello, Papyrus.”

“SO WERE YOU ABLE TO SAVE THE WAYWARD MONSTERS?” 

“Well, save is a bit of a strong word, but I have a feeling they will never stray again.”

“WOWIE! YOU ARE A VERY GREAT PERSON! ALMOST AS GREAT AS ME! THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION! I KNOW! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TREAT YOU TO MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI!” 

“You do not have to do that. It was nothing. Really.”

“COME ON NOW! YOU HELPED A GROUP OF MEANIES BECOME A GROUP OF NICEIES! THAT DESERVES A REWARD!” Dang it, I just cannot say no to this precious little cinnamon roll. 

“Well, alright. I suppose it could not hurt.”

“OH BOY! I’M SO EXCITED! STOP BY LATER WHEN I’M DONE WITH MY PATROL!” 

“Sorry, but I do not know what time you get back. I do not know what time it is in general. I do not have anything to tell time with.”

“FEAR NOT, NOT-HUMAN! I WILL COME FIND YOU WHEN MY SHIFT IS OVER.” 

“Alright then.”

“GOODBYE FOR NOW, NOT-HUMAN!” 

“Goodbye, Papyrus!”  Just like that, Papyrus takes off. I smile again. What a kid. I do not know what I will do with him. My smile falls when I recall that Sans is Papyrus’ brother. I know he does not remember me, but I have a feeling he will keep asking me about what I am when he meets me a second time.


	6. Chapter 6

I explore the town to pass time, starting from where I entered. The monsters from before awkwardly lie in the snow, awaiting the return of their ability to move. The town is mostly a straight line with a few buildings on either side of the path. On one side there is a small shop next to an inn. I do not have any money so I cannot stop at either place. There is a diner type place called  _ Grillby’s _ a short distance from the inn. I can smell the food inside. The smell of magic coming from there makes venom pool- this is equivalent to a human’s mouth watering- in my mouth. I make a note to myself to try some food here if I ever get any money. The other side seems to consist of all houses. 

A little further ahead, the path splits. One keeps going straight while the other turns left, leading to another part of town. Straight ahead on the left side of the straight path is a library, at least I think it is a library. The sign on it says “Librarby.” I make another note to myself to stop by. I absolutely  _ adore _ books.

I turn on the path next to the librarby and find a few more houses and a wolf monster throwing huge pieces of ice into a river. I do not bother to go to either. Continuing down the path, I make it to another river where a monster in a blue cloak stands on a raft. 

“Tralala. I am the river man. Or am I the river woman? Who knows. I love to ride on my little boat. Would you care to join me?” I do not have time to accept a ride so I politely decline the offer. I say goodbye to the river person and turn around. 

Finding nothing else, I make my way back down the path. Past the librarby is a two story house that smells like Sans and Papyrus. It must be theirs. Next to their house is what I believe is a shed. Before I can walk any further, I hear Papyrus calling from the other side of town. I would not need my vampire hearing to know this. The skeleton is very loud. It is time for my “celebration spaghetti.” I do not know how well this will turn out.  Howbeit, I am not one to back down so I go to meet Papyrus.

“NOT HUMAN! THERE YOU ARE,” says Papyrus when we find each other. “ARE YOU READY TO CELEBRATE WITH MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI?” 

“Of course! I cannot wait to try it.”  I smile. There is no point in worrying. Whatever happens, happens. There is nothing that can be done. I do not want to disappoint Papyrus. He everything about him insinuates great joy in the fact that I am coming over.

“ALRIGHT THEN! LET’S GO!” I follow Papyrus to where I had originally assumed his house was. The nose always knows~ I grin slightly at my silly thought. Papyrus opens the front door and invites me in.

“Oh, what a lovely home you have!”  

“WHY, THANK YOU! MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE WHILE I PREPARE THE SPAGHETTI!” I take a seat in the green couch next to the front door and study my surroundings while Papyrus goes into the kitchen. Against the wall in front of me is a flat screen television on a wooden stand. 

To the right of the television is a dirty sock with a series of notes attached to it. “‘SANS! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SOCK!’  ‘ok.’ ‘DON’T PUT IT BACK DOWN! MOVE IT!’  ‘ok.’ ‘YOU MOVED IT TWO INCHES! MOVE IT TO YOUR ROOM!’ ‘ok.’ ‘AND DON’T BRING IT BACK’ ‘ok.’ ‘IT’S STILL HERE!’  ‘didn’t you just say not to bring it back to my room?’ ‘FORGET IT!’” Well that was...something. 

To the left of the couch is a small side table with a joke book on it. I cannot see what is upstairs from where I am sitting other than a door at the top of them. It is plastered with signs saying ‘NO GIRLS ALLOWED,’ ‘NO BOYS ALLOWED,’ and ‘PAPYRUS ALLOWED.’ Against the wall to the right is a long table with a rock covered in sprinkles sitting on it. 

The house starts to smell of something burning. Oh my, I hope everything is alright in the kitchen. Before I have a chance to ask Papyrus, he calls out, “SANS, COME DOWN HERE! DINNER IS ALMOST READY!” 

I hear a door open upstairs. “aight, paps. i’m coming.” Sans stops at the stairs. He looks confused. I do not blame him. He  _ does _ think I am a random stranger on his couch. I make a poker face and avoid eye contact.

After about five minutes of Sans just staring at me with a confused look on his face, Papyrus bursts out of the kitchen carrying three plates of what I think is spaghetti. “DINNER IS READY!” he calls. I see Sans coming down the stairs out of the corner of my eye but continue to avoid eye contact. Sans continues to stare as he makes his way down. 

“SANS! YOU REMEMBER OUR NOT-HUMAN FRIEND, RIGHT?” 

“uh, nope.” 

“DON’T TELL ME YOU’VE ALREADY FORGOTTEN! WELL, ANYWAY, SHE IS OUR SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT! SHE HELPED SET SOME WAYWARD MONSTERS BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK SO THEY WOULDN’T HAVE TO BE MEAN ANYMORE!” 

“is that so.” I smile sheepishly and wave slightly as Sans passes, still staring at me. We all sit down at the table where Papyrus has set out the spaghetti. It does not smell very good. I can tell it is burnt in some places and undercooked in others. There is a sparkly substance in it, as well. I am pretty sure is glitter. There is also way too much garlic powder and other spices in the tomato sauce. 

I think about turning it down by saying I already ate and just came to be polite, but I see Papyrus’ eager face. He has a face you just cannot say no to. I can tell he  _ really _ wants me to try it. I do not want to eat the spaghetti, but I do not want to upset Papyrus either. He has been so sweet, and I just cannot let him down. 

I put on a brave face and eat a forkful of spaghetti. It was worse than I could have ever imagined. Human food just tastes like dirt to me, but  _ this _ is indescribably horrible! I do my best not to show my disgust and give Papyrus a thumbs up. I know he worked hard and that he’s very proud of what he made.

“I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT, NOT-HUMAN!” he beams. Papyrus’ overjoyed face fills me with  _ Determination _ , and I finish the plate of abominable spaghetti. Papyrus gobbles down all of his serving, but Sans’ just disappears off his plate in a cloud of cyan mist when Papyrus is not looking.

“SO, NOT HUMAN, TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF!” says Papyrus when we finish. 

“Um, alright? What do you want to know?”  

“I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND!” 

“That is quite a lot. How about starting off small. Ask me a simple question.”  

“OKAY, THEN! WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN?” 

“Hmm. I really enjoy singing. I-”  

“OH BOY! REALLY? WILL YOU SING SOMETHING FOR US?” Papyrus interrupts. 

“Alright, I suppose so.”  I think for a second what song I will sing. When I choose a song my Soul appears before us and being to play the music. I ignore the skeletons’ surprised looks and start singing.

 

**Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam,**

**Et lingua eius loquetur indicium.**

 

**Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,**

**Quoniam cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae.**

 

**Kyrie, fons bonitatis.**

**Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison.**

 

**O quam sancta, quam serena,**

**Quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditur.**

**O quam sancta, quam serena,**

**Quam benigma, quam amoena,**

**O castitatis lilium.**

 

**Kyrie, fons bonitatis.**

**Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison.**

 

**O quam sancta, quam serena,**

**Quam benigma, quam amoena,**

**O castitatis lilium.**

  
  


The song ends, and my Soul quickly finds its way back into me. Papyrus gasps dramatically and Sans’ eye sockets are wide open. Neither of their reactions are surprising. Being a vampire, my voice is naturally beautiful; my ability makes it more lovely for those listening. My siren’s voice allows me to manipulate certain things happen depending on what song I sing. Some songs will put whoever hears it into a love trance while other songs will affect the weather. I also can direct the song anywhere I want including inanimate objects to avoid affecting anyone around. The particular song I sang has no effect due to its dead language barrier.

“WOWIE, NOT-HUMAN! YOU HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING VOICE!” 

“Thank you, Papyrus. That is very kind of you to say.”   Papyrus springs into a series of questions about everything after that. I answer all of them to the best of my ability. Sans does not say anything. After the shock of my voice wears off, he just nods at my answers. I can tell he is studying me. He is trying to figure me out, what my intentions are. I try to inverbally let him know I mean no harm. 

The time eventually comes for me to say goodbye to the skeleton brothers.

“AWWW. DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, NOT-HUMAN?” 

“Yes, I do. Do not be sad, though. I will see you again soon, Papyrus. You too, Sans. Goodbye for now, and thank you for your hospitality.”

“IT WAS MY PLEASURE! AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SAVING ME.” 

“You are most welcome. I hate it when people put down others to make themselves feel superior.”  Papyrus walks me to the door while Sans stays put, still carefully observing me. I receive a big hug from Papyrus before I leave. The gesture startles me at first, but I accept the hug. 

“GOODBYE, NOT-HUMAN.” 

**“** Farewell **,** Papyrus **.”** With that, I walk away from the skeleton brothers’ house. Night has fallen, and there is nothing else for me to do so I make my way to a tree and climb up. It would be rude to those trying to sleep if I continued through the Underground. I close my sleepless eyes and wait for morning to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Lilium, composed by Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondo


	7. Chapter 7

When morning comes, I hop out of the tree and make my way out of the town. The snow soon becomes thinner as I continue through the Underground. Eventually, I come upon a different area entirely. The stone walls and the dirt are a beautiful deep blue in color. Waterfalls are scattered abundantly throughout this new place. Star-like crystals decorate the ceiling. The air is thick with humidity, and it smells like fresh rain. 

There is an empty booth up ahead, and I wonder who owns it. I hear the clanking of metal nearby, though I pay it no attention as I am too busy admiring this waterfall area. The clanking of metal grows louder. I wrinkle my nose in disgust as the smell of fish fills the air. Suddenly, I hear movement of air as a large object is thrown somewhere close by. As I turn around to see what caused such a disturbance in the air, an electric blue spear made of pulsing magic comes into my view. My eyes widen in surprise, and I quickly step out of its path. Blinking a few times in confusion, I look around for the one who had thrown the spear.

I see a bipedal fish monster with blue scales and a red ponytail. Her left eye has a patch covering it, and her other one is a piercing yellow with a vertical pupil. Two fins are visible, one on either side of her head. She wears heavy-looking knight’s armour. A very annoyed expression is plastered to her face.

“I beg your pardon, but is there a reason you threw this at me?”  I question, pointing to the spear that nearly hit me. 

“You are the last human soul we need to get out of this wretched place! I have to kill you and deliver your soul to our king so he can become a god!”

“I see. Well, you are going to have to find a new candidate,”  I reply nonchalantly. “I am not a human nor am I able to die.”

“Do you really think a bluff like that is going to fool me?! Nothing is able to survive my attacks! I  _ will _ kill you, and I  _ will _ bring your soul to Asgore!” I shrug, and she charges at me. The familiar tugging sensation in my chest returns, and my soul appears before us. 

Yet another  melody plays in the background. I have come to the conclusion that a melody plays every time I enter a battle, though I have no idea where the melody comes from. The battle begins. My soul turns green, and suddenly I cannot move my feet.

“HA! As long as you’re green, you can’t escape! Unless you learn to face danger head-on, you won’t last a SECOND against me!”  Multiple spears materialize around the fish lady, and they all fly straight at me. I block them with the spear the she had first thrown at me. 

“Not bad! Then how about THIS?!”  The spears fly at me from all directions. They are rather easy to block.

“For years we’ve dreamed of a happy ending. And now sunlight is just within our reach! I won’t let you snatch it away from us!”  With each passing attack, more and more spears shoot toward me.

“NGAHHH! Enough warming up now!”  The spears pick up speed. I am actually impressed. Any normal person would have their work cut out for them. If it were not for my able reflexes and speed, it would be less than possible to block all the attacks.

“Honestly, I’m doing you a favor. No human has ever made it past Asgore.” 

“Well then I imagine it is a good thing I am not a human.”

“I already told you your bluffs won’t work on me!”

“I cannot understand why it is so difficult to believe me. My speed alone should be enough to convince you that I am not a human.” 

“WHATEVER! Killing you is an act of mercy! SO STOP BEING SO DAMN RESILIENT!”  I roll my eyes and continue to block her attacks. 

“Alphys told me humans were Determined. I see now what she meant by that! But i’m Determined, too! I’m Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!”  Another round of spears fly at me. I block all of them without trouble.

“QUIT BLOCKING ALL MY ATTACKS!!”  the fish screams. There is no real need to block the attacks. I had only been doing it to give myself something to do. I shrug, and drop the spear I had been using as a shield.

**“** Alright **,”**  I proclaim. “Do your worst.”   She will lose interest when she realizes she cannot kill me. They all do. Spears continue to fly at me. They hit my soul from all directions. It does not hurt, of course, but it does feel weird. It is like I am being poked all over. More spears, larger this time, fly in my direction. I still do not take damage.

“NGAHHH! DIE ALREADY YOU LITTLE BRAT! ” the fish screams.

“I already told you. I cannot die. Please stop throwing yours pears at me, now. They are rather bothersome.”  The fish lady grumbles, but she stops, finally admitting defeat.

“Don’t think you’ve won, human!” Or not.

“I do not think that. How could I have won? I did not even fight you. Oh, and I am really not a human. Not anymore, anyways.”  I inform, mumbling the last part to myself. 

“You look human to me.”

“Alas, I am not.”  

“I don’t believe you. I may not be able to kill you, but I can still deliver you to Asgore! NGAHHH!!!” The fish lady lunges at me, but I step out of the way before she slams into me. She quickly rebounds and charges at me. I decide to toy with her for awhile because why not? I run around as the fish lady chases me. The melody continues as we run around. I laugh playfully as I run just faster than she. 

“You cannot catch me!”  I chortle. 

“YOU WANNA BET?!” The fish speeds up, as do I. We run through most of the area. When she speeds up, I speed up as well, always stay a good four meters in front of her. Eventually, the fish starts to slow. I can tell she is getting tired, but I do not stop running.

“You…Cannot…Escape…Me…” she wheezes. 

“I do not want to. This is far too much fun! I can run forever, but I am curious to see how much longer you can last,”  I say, not the least bit out of breath.

“I…can…r-run…forever…too!” she yells, obviously struggling to keep going. Ironically, it is I who loses interest, but I keep running, too competitive to let her catch me. 

I used to find running quite enjoyable. The wind blowing in my face as it whistles past me had always been one of my favorite things. Now it is just a painful reminder of everything I have lost. I really miss the runs I used to have with  _ him. _

We have been running for nearly an hour now. I am surprised the fish lady has been keeping up for this long. She must have a ton of  _ Determination _ to have kept up with me for as long as she has. I hear her collapse behind me, at last having expended all of her energy. I stop running and go back to her. 

“W-water… I n-need w-water….” she pants. I sigh and pick her up. She weakly protest, slapping at my arms. I carry the fish lady to the nearest waterfall and gently set her down in the pool of water it creates. 

“That was fun,”  I say. The fish person does not respond. I turn to walk away.

“Wait!” she calls, halting my depart. 

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you just leave me there? You could have easily gotten away from me in my weakened state. Why did you come back for me?”

“I am not heartless. I would not have left you there even if you _could_ kill me. Besides, I could have gotten away from you whenever I wanted. I can run much faster than that. I was just playing with you, and I must say I have not had that much fun in a very long time. Thank you for that.”  She stares at me in disbelief.

“We were going nearly a hundred miles an hour! How fast can you possibly go?”

“I have never really tried to go at full speed. I do know that I can go faster than the speed of sound which is over seven hundred miles per hour. ”

“Dang! What even are you?”

“I, uh, do not openly discuss that matter…”

“And why is that?”

“I do not particularly like what I am. I would prefer if you refrain from asking anymore about me.”

“Alright, alright.”

“Well, it was lovely meeting you, but I must go now.”

“Yeah. Sure, nerd.”

“Goodbye Miss... um what _is_ your name?”

“Undyne, but no ‘Miss,’ k? It’s  _ way _ too formal.” 

“Alright then, Undyne. My name is Evelyn. It has been a pleasure meeting you.”  I leave after that and make my way back to where I started so I could find my way out. I stop when I get to the booth again. It is no longer empty…


	8. Chapter 8

**sans**

 

Paps and I head off to bed after Evelyn leaves. My mind is too busy to fall asleep, though. I keep thinking about Evelyn. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled my little bro has a new friend, but Evelyn gives me some weirdly mixed feelings. I don’t exactly know her, yet I feel like I should trust her. I don’t know if that means I  _ should _ trust her or trust her even less. I can’t tell what she is. She’s not a human despite her outward appearance, but she’s not like any monster i’ve ever seen. Maybe she’s some evil creature that’s planning on wiping out the entire underground? No... That can’t be right. If she was, why would she help out Paps? She doesn’t even know him and yet she defended him. There’s no way she’s evil. 

She sure is beautiful whatever she is, like, unworldly beautiful with waist-length, light chestnut hair and bangs the rest lightly on her forehead. Her bright grey eyes dance with countless stories from a time long ago. A strange scare can barely be seen on her neck. It almost looks like something bit her, but it’s too faded to tell for sure. She seems almost too thin, like she doesn’t eat well, but not so thin that it would suggest she’s unhealthy. Why is it that I want to see her again so badly?

Sooner or later I end up falling asleep. I wake up to Papyrus banging on my door. “SANS! IT’S TIME TO GET UP!” He barges in. 

“five more minutes,”  I groan.

“NO, SANS! WE HAVE TO GET TO OUR POSTS! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH? WE HAVE TO BE READY! NOW GET OUT OF BED, YOU LAZYBONES! I ALREADY HAVE OUR BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI MADE!” I mumble an ‘alright’ and get out of bed. I slide on my slippers and head downstairs. Paps already has two plates of spaghetti set out on the table. Despite how cool my brother is, his cooking skills are lacking in, well, skill. I teleport my portion away when he isn’t looking. I’ll just eat at Grillby’s later. I grab my hoodie, and we head out to our posts.

“DON’T FALL ASLEEP THIS TIME, SANS. YOU’LL CATCH A COLD IF YOU KEEP SLEEPING OUTSIDE. WHY DON’T YOU RECALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES WHILE YOU’RE OUT HERE SINCE YOU HAVEN’T DONE THAT.”

“yeah. sure, bro.” After a caring yet stern look from Papyrus, he goes off in the other direction to his post. I sit there for a while before teleporting to Grillby’s for breakfast. I order it to-go and have Grillby put the payment on my tab. I teleport back to my post and eat my burger, falling asleep shortly after. The alarm on my phone telling me to switch to my post in Waterfall wakes me up. I teleport back to Grillby’s for brunch before heading over to Waterfall. It’s really boring just sitting here.

I wonder what Evelyn’s doing. I’d been really surprised to see her on our couch. I think I made things awkward for her by staring the whole time. I could tell she was uncomfortable. I was just trying to judge her intent. Despite her obvious discomfort, she sure was nice to Papyrus. I can’t believe she choked down all of Pap’s cooking! She even told him it was good! And her voice? Well, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard! Much better than that over-sized calculator’s voice. I can’t believe people  _ actually _ like Mettaton. 

I should really stop thinking about Evelyn, though. I probably won’t see her ever again. Just as I’m thinking this, I turn my head to see her about to walk past my post. She sees me too. Her face is a mix of shock, awkwardness, and a bit of fear, but she fixes her composure so quickly that I think I may have been imagining the whole thing. 

“heya.”

“Hello, Sans. I did not expect to see you here. Do you not live in Snowdin?”

“yeah, i’m supposed to be keeping an eye socket out for humans, though. it just so happens that i have a post here in waterfall.”

“So that is what this area is called. It is not a very creative name.”

“heheh, i know. as great as our king is, he’s pretty awful at names.”

“Ahahah, that sure is obvious. Well, I should probably go now.”

“hey, wait.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“i wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh? What about?”

“why don’t we talk over some lunch?.”

“I, uh, do not know.”

“come on, i know a really good place to eat. i just wanna ask you a couple of things.”

“I mean I am in a bit of a hurry...” 

“please?”

“Alright, fine. I have been wanting to try some food down here, anyways.”

“heheh. alright, then. come on, i know a shortcut.” I offer my hand to Evelyn which she accepts, looking slightly confused, and we teleport to Grillby’s. _Holy cow!_ Evelyn’s hand is _freezing_! I could swear that it’s made of ice! I mean, it doesn’t really bother me since the cold goes right through me _(heh),_ but it sure surprised me how cold her hand is. 

“fast shortcut, huh?”  I chortle, looking at Evelyn. She doesn’t seem the slightest bit phased, other than a bit of shock from suddenly appearing somewhere new in a blink of an eye. Her reaction, or lack thereof, is kinda weird considering how most monsters nearly throw up whenever I teleport them. I feel like that should’ve set off some kind of bell in my head, good or bad, but it doesn’t. I still don’t know anything.

“Woah. Yeah.”

“hey, everyone.”

“Hey, Sans.” 

“Hi, Sans.”

“Greeting, Sans.”

“Hiya, Sansy~” I coulda swore I saw Evelyn tense up for a second at that last greeting, but she’s back to normal the next second so it’s hard to say. 

“Hey Sans, weren’t you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?” 

“nah, i haven’t had breakfast in at least half an hour. you must be thinking of brunch,” I joke, earning a laugh from everyone, including Evelyn.  “here, get comfy,” I say to her. We take a seat at the counter. 

**_Pbbbbfbfbbbfbfbfbbfbfbbbfbffbbfbfbt_ ** _! _

“whoops, watch where you sit down. sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seat.” Evelyn lightly punches my arm, so lightly she barely touches me. She probably thinks I’m super delicate or something cause I’m a skeleton. (She’s not wrong about me being super delicate. I’ve only got one HP.)

“You are so immature, Sans,”  she says giggling. 

“says the one laughing at a fart joke. so, what do ya want?”

“Um, I am not sure. I am not aware of what they serve here.”  

“the most popular items are burgers and fries. those are your options.”

“I guess I will have a burger?”

“good choice. that’ll be two burgs please, grillby.” Grillby nods and disappears through the fire exit. He returns shortly with our order.  “thanks, grillbs.”  I turn to Evelyn.

“hey, you want some ketchup?” I ask.

“No, thank you,”  she replies.

“more for me,” I shrug, chugging down the bottle of ketchup, getting a laugh from Evelyn. 

“You drink straight ketchup?”  Evelyn questions.

“yeah. it’s pretty good, too. you should try it,” I tease.

“I think I will pass,”  she giggles. 

“welp, bone apatite. pun intended,” I say with a wink. She laughs slightly at this. Evelyn is hesitant to try the burger but eventually takes a bite. Her nose wrinkles a bit. 

“what? don’t like it?” 

“No, no, it is not that. It tastes fine, but the the texture is quite odd. It is certainly different from the texture surface food has. Even if it has been a very long since I last ate food, I will never forget its texture.”  I give her a confused look. 

“what do ya mean by that?” 

“You see, I do not need to eat. Food actually tastes like dirt to me. This does not, but I think it is because it it made up of mostly magic. As for the texture of surface food, it is a great deal more solid than this. It certainly does not dissolve instantly as this food has. You have to chew a lot in order to soften it enough to swallow. It is not very pleasant, in my opinion.”  The way she says everything surprises me. I’m about to start asking questions, but Evelyn interrupts me.“Before you start asking questions, let me just say I don’t need to eat because of what I am, no I will not tell you what I am, I will most likely never tell you what I am, and I have my ways of knowing that the food here is made up of mostly magic.”  

“ok, but how did you know i was going to say all of that?” 

“You are too predictable, Sans,”  she says before taking another bite of her burger. I may be predictable but she sure isn’t. I can never guess what she will do or say next. She sure is intriguing. And there’s something about her… I can’t quite put my finger on it, but she sure feels magnetic. We’ve hardly just met and it already seems like we’ve known each other for years.

“so what’s your story, kid? what exactly are you playing at?”

“I am not sure I follow.”

“you kinda showed up out of nowhere. you randomly decide to ‘help out’ some random monsters. you aren’t human. so what’s the deal?”

“I fell down here from the Surface about two days ago. I saw a group of monsters picking on your brother. I kicked their butts, kind of. I told your brother they would not be so mean anymore. He decided that was a reason to celebrate so he invited me over for some spaghetti.”

“why would you bother to help someone you don’t know?”

“Does everyone here assume ‘outsiders’ are heartless? I saw someone in need of help so I went to help them.”  

“what exactly did you mean by ‘kind of’ kicking their butts?”

“I did not do anything to actually hurt them. I only rendered them unable to attack. It was mostly just to scare them into not being jerks.”

“i see.”

“So did I pass your little interrogation?”

“yeah, i think you did.”

“Ah, wonderful.”   She takes another bite of her burger. We chat for awhile longer as we finish our food. I still don’t know everything about her, but I feel a bit more like I really  _ am _ suppose to trust her. What is it about her that makes me feel the way I do?

* * *

 

 

“This was nice,”  says Evelyn with a small smiling. “We should do this again sometime.”

“yeah, sure, kid. thanks for clearing some things up for me.”

“No problem. Oh, by the way, I am much older than you”  she says, putting her hand on her hips. 

“is that so? how old are you then.” 

“I am one thousand nine hundred seventy four years old.”  

“very funny. how old are you really?” 

“Alright, fine. I am eighteen.”  

“so you’re not older than me. we’re the same age.” 

“Okay, then. That still means you cannot call me kid. Unless you think of yourself as a kid, I am not a kid either. Just call me Evelyn.”  

“but your name is too long, and i’m too lazy to say it. how ‘bout i call ya evie?” 

“Sure, why not.”  

“aight, then. evie it is.” 

“Does that mean I can give you a nickname as well?”  

“um, i guess? my name is already pretty short, though.” 

“That is fine. How about Sansy~”  

“nope. i hear enough of that from the drunk lady at grillby’s.” 

“Oh, fine. What about Blue?”  

“nah. too boring.”  Evie huffs but then brightens.  

“What about Snas?”  

“pfffft no.” 

“Too bad. I like it so I will be calling you Snas from here on out,” she says with a wink. 

“fine. snas for me and evie for you.” 

“Perfect.”  

“now as much as i hate to say this, my break’s over so i gotta get back to work. see ya ‘round, evie.” 

“See you later Snas.”  With that, we both turn to leave, and I teleport to my booth in Hotland. I find myself missing her as soon as she’s gone. _What is wrong with me?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Evelyn**

 

In all honesty, this was the best night I have had in quite a while. We did not do anything except eat burgers and joke, but I still had fun. Sans reminds me of  _ him _ , in a way. 

Michael was my partner in crime. He was my best friend while I was traveling with the group of vampires before the whole hunter situation. He was a brother to me. Michael was the only other vampire I met who hunted animals instead of people. We would always joke around and pull pranks on the others before they were all killed by the hunters. The man who killed Michael was the only human I ever willingly killed. I miss Michael terribly. He was the only one who was able to make me happy when I was so miserable being a vampire. Enough about Michael, though. 

No need to ruin the good mood I am in with my depressing past. I am glad that there is no awkwardness between Sans and me. It is nice to have a friend like him. Friend… It is weird. Friend does not seem to be the correct word. There is something about him that makes my Soul flutter. I do not understand this feeling. I have never felt this way about anyone before. All I know is that I will miss him dreadfully when I leave the Underground. 

I make my way back to Waterfall. I notice some blue flowers as I make my way through the area. I have never seen flowers like these before. They smell very sweet, like blue kool aid and honey. I am curious about these flowers. I go up to one of the flowers and touch one of its petals. 

“Isn’t Undyne the coolest?” says the flower. The voice from the flower surprises me. I poke it again. “Isn’t Undyne the coolest?” repeats the flower. How interesting! I go up to another flower and poke it. 

“I wish we could go back to the Surface.” I poke it again and the flower repeats what it said. 

“What kind of flowers are these?”  I say as I poke a third flower. 

“What kind of flowers are these?” says the flower.

“What **?** ” I poke the flower again.

“What?” repeats the flower.

“Do these flowers repeat whatever they hear?”  I poke the flower one last time. 

“Do these flowers repeat whatever they hear?” it says. 

“How intriguing! I have never seen anything like this before!”  I hear someone come up behind me. 

“Yo! You like looking at the echo flowers too, Miss?” So that is what they are called.

“Yes, they are quite lovely, are they not?”

“Yeah! I love em! I heard that if you tell them your wishes, they’ll come true!” I turn to face the one speaking. He is a little, yellow monster without any arms, a tail, and spikes on his head. He reminds me of a dinosaur.

“Is that so? How wonderful!”

“They’re pretty great, right? I’m MK, by the way. What’s your name?”

“My name in Evelyn. It is a pleasure to meet you, MK.”  I smile at the little monster kid. 

“Well, I have to go now Miss Evelyn. My parents will be wondering where I am.” 

“Well, goodbye then, MK.”

“See ya later!” With that, MK runs off but trips before he gets very far. The poor thing falls right on his face! 

“Oh goodness! Are you alright?”  The kid gets up quickly. 

“Yeah! I’m fine! That happens all the time. Gotta go now! Bye!” He runs off again. I make my way through more of Waterfall. I did not realize how much I missed while being chased by Undyne. I was not really focused on my surroundings. I happen upon a room just a bit darker than the other rooms. There is a telescope in one of the corners which I look through out of curiosity. 

The ceiling is covered with shining crystals that resemble stars. It is incredibly gorgeous. They are nearly identical to the actual stars, only slightly brighter. There is a lot of magical energy radiating from these crystals, and it makes my head spin a bit, an odd feeling. Despite my head spinning, I want to stay and look at the crystals longer, but I remind myself that getting out of here is my top priority. 

I continue on my way through Waterfall without stopping much. Aside from the shape, most of the rooms are practically identical, the same blue colors with waterfalls here and there and the occasional pool of water.  

I go through a doorway in the one of the rooms which leads me to a place called Temmie Village. It is full of monsters that resemble cats, with dog ears on the side of their heads as well as their normal cat ears, shoulder length black hair, and blue shirts. They appear to be vibrating, similar to the way a chihuahua shakes.

**“Hoi! I’m TemMiE!”**

**“hoI! Im tEmmIe!”**

**“HOi! I’M TeMMIe!”** These so called “Temmies” are absolutely adorable, but I have to admit, they are rather annoying. I turn around soon after entering, seeing that Temmie Village is just a small room that does not lead anywhere else. 

The next room is considerably darker than the others that has lanterns that activate when tapped. I go through what appears to be a cave entrance but just end up in another hall way. Turning a corner, I notice a large screen on the wall with the words “Welcome to Hotland” scrolling across it.

The colors of the Underground change from the blues of Waterfall to orange and yellow signaling that I am in a new area of the Underground. The smell of rain fades as I enter this new area, and the smell of heat, sweat, and body odor takes its place. To my sensitive nose, the smell is so horrible that I have to run back to Waterfall and take a breath before I am able to go back. I can tell this area is much much warmer than the other two areas I have been in. 

Up ahead is another booth. Snas is sitting in it looking bored. I am at a loss for what to do. I would love to talk with Snas again, but talking requires air which would require me to breathe. I would rather not have to smell anything in this area. Just as I am about to decide, Snas turns his head and sees me. 

“oh hey, ki-, i mean evie. uh, what’s with the look?”  he asks, referring to my surprised and most likely annoyed expression.

“I was just was not expecting to see you here. Also, the smell here is absolutely putrid.” 

“really? i don’t smell anything. then again, i don’t exactly have a nose,” he jokes adding a wink. I cringe as I have to take another breath in order to speak again.

“Well, to me it smells like sweat and dirty socks.”  

“sounds bad.” 

“It is! Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I would love more to get away from whatever is causing that terrible smell.”

“aight. it’s time for my break anyways. wanna come to grillby’s with me?” I laugh at this.

“Were we not just there a little bit ago?”  He gives me an amused look.

“if by a bit ago you mean three days then yes.”

“Three day?! Oh my, time sure flies, does it not?”  My goodness, it is hard to believe it has been that long. I fathom that is what happens when you wander around a large area, entranced by the beauty of it on top of having hardly any sense of time.

“so is that a yes on grillby’s?”

**“** I do not think that is a good idea right now. I am a bit busy.”

“awww too busy even for your ol’ pal snas?”

“You know what? Sure. I will go with you. I am sure I can wait a while long.”  Snas’ permanent grin widens at my answer. 

“great! come on, i know a shortcut.” 

What am I saying?! I have to get out of here as soon as I possibly can! I do not have time for this! I have already wasted three days in Waterfall! But as much as I try to convince myself to refuse Snas’ offer, I simply cannot turn him down. He is so _ magnetic _ . It is difficult to stay away from him. 

Snas holds out his hand, and I take it without hesitation this time. In a cloud of cyan mist, we appear in front of Grillby’s. The warmth from Snas’ hand is still slightly surprising to me. I have not felt warmth quite like this before. It is cooler than any human or animal but warmer than any vampire. It is comfortable, and it makes me not want to let go

I hope my icy hand is not uncomfortable for Snas. If it is, he does not say so. Snas lets go of my hand, and we go inside of the food bar. The smell of the magic food makes venom pool in my mouth. Snas greets everyone, and we take a seat in the same spots we were in three days ago. This time, however, I am sure to check my seat for any whoopie cushions. 

“so what’ll it be today, evie?”  The smell of the magic within the food here is much too alluring to turn down.  **“ I would like to try the fires this time.”** Snas nods and turns to the fire monster who is currently cleaning a glass behind the counter.

“two orders of fries please, grillbs.”  The fire element nods and walks off, returning shortly after with our order. I hesitate at first since I know it will feel weird in my mouth, but the magic coming from them smells absolutely delicious so I take a bite anyways. As I was expecting, the texture is rather odd, though the taste definitely makes up for it. Snas and I talk in between bites. The Surface manages to make its way into our conversation. 

“so. you came out of the ruins, right? did you always live there?” 

“I never actually lived there. I fell down here from the Surface.”

“that’s right. i remember you saying something about the surface before. what was it like there?” 

“Honestly, it was not that great. There were a few good things, for example, the night sky. It was gorgeous. I used to be able to see stars and galaxies from where I was. It was wonderful. People, though… People are not very great. They always seem to be fighting, mostly over land and beliefs. Many wars have happened in my time. There are also thieves and murderers and much worse. For every good person, there are several more bad ones. Even if humans were to disappear, the damage they have done to the earth, pollution and every other thing they have done to the environment, is irreversible. As much as I dislike the Surface, though, I must get back there.”  

“wow. that sounds really bad. why would you ever want to go back there?” 

“I have my reasons. You know, I could ask you the same thing. I have heard that the monsters really want to go back to the Surface.”  

“if they knew what it was like up there, i think they would change their minds.” 

“I would certainly hope so. The Surface is not exactly the greatest place. In my opinion, it is much better down here than it is up there.”  

“heh, i guess so.” 

“As much as I enjoy your company, I have to go now. I need to continue my search for a way out. I hope I will see you later, Snas.”  I get up to leave.

“hey, you’re going to make me pay for our entire meal?”  I stop. O-oh! I do not have any money. I give Snas a guilty look. 

“heheh. i’m kidding. hey, grillbs, put it on my tab.”  I sigh in relief, although the fire element does not seem too pleased that Snas does not actually pay. 

“Haha, very funny. Farewell, Snas.”  

“see ya later, evie.”


	10. Chapter 10

I find myself missing Snas, once I leave. I rather enjoy his company, and, well, there is something about him… As I have said before, he gives me an odd feeling. It is good and warm. I do not know what this feeling is. I have never felt anything quite like it. Perhaps it is just me going crazy. I long to see him again even though I was just with him. I scold myself for feeling such things. I cannot grow attached to anyone down here. There is too great a risk. I must leave before my thirst returns.

It is strange, though. I have not fed on anything in nearly a week yet my thirst has not begun to come back. It usually returns within a single day. I head over to the river person, hoping they could take me to the new area quickly. The scenery is too alluring to avoid glazing at in Waterfall. I need to stop wasting time.

“Tralala. Would you like a ride on my boat.”

“Yes, please.”  

“Alright, where to, deary?” I recall the sign when entering the new area. The area was very obviously named, just like every other place here in the Underground. The king is not very creative, that is for sure. 

“Will you take me to Hotland, please?”  

“Of course! Let’s go!” I board the little raft and me take off. It is rather fast for a raft.  “Tralala. Eat a mushroom everyday. Why? Then I know you’re listening to me.” What a peculiar thing to say. 

We arrive at Hotland about an hour later. I thank the river person and get off the raft. I make my way down a path and stop at a crossroad. If I were to go forward, I would run into two guards wearing black armour. They seem to be the source of the terrible smell here. I stop breathing immediately so as not to taking in the putrid smell of sweat and body odor. 

To my left is they way to the booth where Snas is sitting again. I wonder when the next time I will see him will be. I wonder if I even  _ will _ see him again. A wave of longing and pain washes over me. I want to see him again. I yearn for his company. I scold myself again for feeling this way. I cannot help it, though. I wish I knew why I am feeling this way. Ahaha, maybe if I tell that wish to an echo flower I will find out. 

The only way I can really go to continue, is right. Down this road is a building that is large and white with red lights here and there. Above the door is a sign with red letters that reads “Lab”. When I walk over to the door, it opens automatically. Inside is a room with green walls and blue floors. My curiosity gets the best of me for the millionth time, and I walk in. There is a messy desk next to a large screen and a refrigerator. A large bag of dog food sits next to the fridge. How random. A set of stairs are on both the near and far side of the room. Someone must have heard the door open because I hear them call out. 

“ W-who’s there! ” a female voice stutters. 

“Oh, I am sorry I did not mean to intrude.”

“It’s alright. Um... I d-don’t recognize your voice. Who’s down there?”

“My name is Evelyn. I am new to the Underground.”  A yellow dinosaur monster wearing a white lab coat and glasses rushes down the set of stairs closest to me. She lets out a squeak when she sees me. 

“Oh. My. Gosh! I didn’t expect to you to show up so soon! I haven’t showered, I’m barely dressed, it’s all messy, and-”

“Um, I beg your pardon, but I do not believe we have met before so how do you know who I am?”  

“Uhhh… Hiya! I’m Dr. Alphys, Asgore’s royal scientist. You see, uh, since you stepped out of the ruins, I’ve, um, been ‘o-observing’ your journey through my console.  I was originally going to stop you cause, uhh, I thought you human and all, but, um, w-watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them. S-so, uh, I want to help you, you know, escape the Underground. With my knowledge, I can easily help you through Hotland!”  I raise an eyebrow. 

“You have been watching me this whole time?”

“W-well, uh, yes? But it was kind of my job keep an eye out for humans i-in case Sans or Papyrus somehow missed you. I was supposed to report you to Asgore, but I-I-I was curious about you.” 

“Well then… So, was I really that interesting enough to watch?”  

“Y-yes! I’ve loved every part of your adventure! You and Sans seemed to hit it off pretty well, huh?”  I feel my Soul flutter at the mention of his name. I still do understand this feeling. 

“W-well, yes, I suppose we have.”  Alphys giggles as if there was a joke I didn’t get. She then goes on about my journey through the Underground. 

“So, uh, I know this is s-sudden and all, but would you, um, mind if I did some tests o-o-on you? I know we just met, but I’ve, uh, never met a vampire before, and I, um, would really like to l-learn everything I can about your species.”  Alphys looks at me with a pleading smile. 

My eyes widen. “How did you know that?”  

“Know what? That you’re a vampire? I k-kinda figured it out on my own. I-it was pretty obvious, honestly. Pale white skin, super fast, super strong. The pieces just fell together.”

“Oh. Wow. This is… okay, uh, I do not really know what to say.” 

“O-oh, geez. D-did I make you u-uncomfortable?”

“No, no, it is not that. I just… This is a lot to take in. Why are you not scared of me?”

“Well, uh, you seem really nice, a-and you haven’t hurt anyone down here so th-there’s no reason for me to be scared of you. A-also I think vampires are r-really cool.”

“Oh.”

“S-so do you think it would be o-ok for me to, uh, do some tests on you? I-I just want to l-learn more about you.”

“I do not know. This is all a bit much for me.”

“Oh, I-I-I’ll give you some time to think. Here, l-let me give you my number. You can call me when you’ve made a choice.” 

“Oh, um, I do not have a phone.”  

Alphys gasps.  “H-how do you not have a phone? Have you been living under a rock your whole life? O-oh… S-sorry... That was rude.”

“It is fine, and you are not wrong. I have not had very much contact with modern human technology. I tend to avoid humans if I can help it.”

“Oh. My. Gosh! Are you one of those vampires that only feed on animals? Th-that’s a relief. I was a little worried that you maybe, uh, wanted to drink my blood. Oh, I’m g-getting side tracked. Wait here just a moment. I’ll be right back.”   Alphys dashes back up the stairs and returns shortly after, carrying a small rectangular object. She holds it out in front of me, and I give her a confused look. 

“Here, take it. It’s a cell phone.,” she says. “It’s a device that converts acoustic vibrations to electrical signals in order to transmit sound, typically voices, over a distance without the use of wires…”  She goes on and on, explaining every little detail about the cell phone. I already know most of what she tells me from the books I have read, but I do not interrupt. When she finishes her explanation, she goes on to show how everything works. It is rather astonishing how much a small electronic box can do. I wonder how long the underground has had technology like this. 

“This is incredible!”  

“I know! Cell phone are p-pretty great. I made this one especially for you. I hope you don’t mind, b-but I already added my phone number to your contacts.” 

“I do not mind at all. Thank you for the phone, Doctor Alphys.”  

“Y-y-you’re welcome, Evelyn. S-so about the tests. Just call me when you make a decision, but p-please at least think about it.” 

“I do not know. It is all so sudden.”  

“D-don’t worry too much about it. Like I said, y-you don’t have to answer right now. ” 

“Alright, I will think about it, but I have to leave now. Thank you again for the phone. Goodbye, Doctor Alphys.”

“O-ok. I’ll see you late, Evelyn.”  

It has gotten dark, so I decide to find a quiet place in Waterfall to stay until daylight returns. I would have stayed in Hotland, but the smell was too much for me. Even without breathing, I could practically  _ feel _ the stench. The heat itself was bothersome, too. Although I cannot truly experience “heat,” I have never liked the stuffiness of the air. 

My mind begins to wander as I sit against the cool wall of Waterfall. I consider Alphys’ offer. I see no harm in letting her learn about me. However, I cannot risk having my thirst return in the time it takes for her to study me. It is only a matter of time before it comes back, and I would never forgive myself if I accidentally drained the nerdy dinosaur monster because of some incident causing her to bleed during her observation.

My thoughts drift to Snas causing my Soul to flutters again. What _is_ this feeling? It is so familiar yet completely new to me. I go through each and every emotion imaginable, trying to figure out what my feeling is. I thought I had felt every emotion, but I recall one that I have never felt to its full extent: love. 

The basic definition of love is a feeling of affection; however, there are several different types of love. There is a kind of love you feel towards family and a kind of love you feel towards friends. I have felt those before, but there is a third type of love that I have never felt. This is the most complicated type of love. I have read many books about this kind of love, none of which have really explained the feeling. From what I have been able to gather, this type of love is the strongest of the three.

Do… do I love Sans? That is impossible, is it not? Or… is it really? Vampire emotions tend to be rather complicated, love being the the most difficult to explain. There is only one time in a vampire’s life that they fall in love. Two become one in a way that cannot be put into words. They are what my kind refers to as Soulmates. It happen at first sight. Then suddenly, to steal a line from _Twilight_ , it is no longer gravity holding you to the earth anymore, it is _them_ … You physically cannot live without them. A force literally draws you together. The two become inseparable. I do not know how else to describe it.

I realize that everything adds up to the way I feel. As soon as I laid eyes on Sans, I felt as if nothing else mattered. I only wanted to see him happy. It feels like my Soul is pulling me toward him. I cannot understand how this is possible, though. Sans is not a vampire. I have only known vampires fall in love with other vampires.

I guess it does not really matter. Sans could never love me back. I am something that should not exist, a freak of nature. I am no more than a filthy demon that brings suffering to everyone around me. Sans could never love someone like me. A crushing weight of pain and grief washes over me. My Soul feels as if it has been broken into countless pieces. Yet again, what I am has brought me nothing but misery.


	11. Chapter 11

Sooner or later, morning comes. I reluctantly get up and start walking back toward Hotland. I still have to find my way out of here. Another wave of grief pounds through my very core. It is so powerful that I nearly collapse into a pile of sadness. I must not let such feelings control me. I shove them down into the deepest abyss of my mind.

I do not have time to waste on being miserable. How knows how soon before my thirst returns, and I end up slaughtering another innocent monster. The smell of magical blood fills the entire Underground. My thirst has not yet come back, though I have come to the conclusion it is due to the fact that I have consumed the magic-filled food down here. I do not have any money, nor do I have any way of obtaining money to be able to pay for a supply of food to keep my thirst under control. My only option is to find a way out of the Underground as soon as possible. 

Papyrus’ scent catches my attention. He is near, though I do not see him. “SNEAK ATTACK!” he shouts, lunging at me from behind a thick wall of foliage. 

“Gah!”   I spudder as I am tackled to the ground. I does not hurt, but I am utterly surprised by the sudden attack. Why did my instincts not put me on guard?

“I HAVE CAPTURED YOU, NOT-HUMAN!” Papyrus gets up, taking me with him. 

“Oh no! I have been captured by the Great Papyrus! What ever shall I do!”  I exclaim, deciding to play along and knowing it will make him happy.

“WORRY NOT, NOT-HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A MERCIFUL CAPTOR AND WILL SET YOU FREE IF YOU CAN COMPLETE THE PUZZLES I MADE! YOU DO LIKE PUZZLES, RIGHT?” 

“Of course! Who does not like puzzles?”  

“I CAN THINK OF NO ONE, NOT-HUMAN!” Papyrus says, going into a full out rave about how great puzzles are. He carries me all the way back to Snowdin to try out all the puzzles he created.

“THIS PUZZLE IS THE INVISIBLE MAZE! IF YOU TOUCH ONE OF THE INVISIBLE WALLS, YOU WILL BE SHOCKED! DO NOT WORRY, THOUGH, NOT-HUMAN. IT WILL NOT HURT TOO BADLY! HOLD THIS. I WILL WAIT ON THE OTHER SIDE.” Papyrus hands me a little pink orb and walks through the maze. I wonder if he realizes that he just showed me the path to take. His footprints make a clear path, not that I really needed the help. I can see the electrical currents that make up the walls of the maze. I easily make my way through the maze to Papyrus. 

“WOWIE! YOU GOT THROUGH THAT PUZZLE SO QUICKLY! YOU DIDN’T EVEN GET SHOCKED ONCE! YOU MUST BE A PUZZLE MASTER!” 

“Thank you, Papyrus, though I am sure you are much better at puzzles than me.”  

“YOU ARE RIGHT, NOT-HUMAN. NO ONE IS AS GREAT AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS AT PUZZLES! NOW, ON TO THE NEXT PUZZLE!” What a kid. The next few puzzles consist of X-shaped buttons that need to be stepped on in order to deactivate a set of spikes blocking the path. They are simple puzzles, but I take my time in order make them seem harder. Papyrus is clearly proud. After the fifth puzzle, I check my phone to see what time it is. Papyrus checks the time as well by looking over my shoulder. It is currently 5:30 pm. 

“OH MY! IT SURE HAS GOTTEN LATE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME OVER FOR DINNER, NOT-HUMAN?” 

“I do not know about that, Papyrus. I have some things I need to do.”  Though this is technically not a lie since I really do need to find my way out of the Underground, I say this in order to avoid Sans. I must not grow anymore attached to him. I fear I have already imprinted on him. I must to stay away before I cannot stand to be away from him. I had seen that with two of my companions. Soulmates cannot bear to be apart from them. I already crave Sans’ company. I will not allow myself be unable to stay away from him. Papyrus gives a very sad look. 

“PLEEEEEEASE?” I cannot understand why it is so difficult for me to say no, and I end up giving in. 

“I suppose I could bend my schedule… But only if you let me do the cooking.”  

“DEAL! OH, I’M SO GLAD YOU ARE COMING OVER, NOT-HUMAN! I’M SURE SANS WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE YOU, AS WELL.” I give a forced smile, and Papyrus grabs my wrist, leading me in the direction of his house. Why do I keep letting this happen?


	12. Chapter 12

I go straight to the kitchen when we get to the skeleton brothers’ house and look around for potential ingredients. There is… only spaghetti. No spices or tomatoes for a sauce. There is  _ just  _ spaghetti. Okay? I can work with this. I have never actually cooked before, but I have memorized many recipes down to their last word. Since there is nothing other than spaghetti, that is the only thing I can make so I recall a simple recipe and being preparation. Papyrus insists on helping, but I do not let him. As much as I like that precious cinnamon roll, Papyrus is an awful cook. I mentally shudder at the memory of the time I sampled his food. Instead, he settles for just watching.

Plain spaghetti is pretty much as simple as it gets when it comes to cooking so it does not take more than a pot of water on the stove to finish preparations. It always takes awhile for water to boil so I strike up a conversation with Papyrus to pass the time. It becomes clearer to me as we converse why it has been so hard to say no to him. I can see a part of Michael in him, the part Michael hardly ever showed, the part of him that actually let himself be a child. I always had wished Michael would let himself be a kid, and it hurt my Soul that he rarely did. Seeing Papyrus, so full of energy and life, be the child he is could not have made me happier in this moment. I knew then that I would do everything in my power to protect him during my time down here so he would never have to grow up too fast. 

The water eventually begins to boil so our conversation gets put on hold as I put the spaghetti in. I hear a faint popping sound, and Sans’ scent gets stronger. My Soul flutters at his presence, but I force myself to ignore this feeling. Out of the corner of my eye I see Sans join Papyrus, who had gone back to watching me. It takes a strong sense of will not to stop everything I am doing to be closer to him. I stir the pasta a few times then let it sit. The air soon becomes tense with silence as no one speaks. I break the silence before it can drive any of us mad.

“Hello, Snas. How are you doing?” 

“‘m great. how ‘bout you?”

“I am doing well. Thank you for asking.” 

“whatcha makin?”

“Spaghetti, of course.”

“cool. it smells pretty good.”  I was unsure if this was a joke or not. It was just pasta in water, but the sincerity in his voice made me question if he truly does thinks it smells good.

“Thank you. I hope it tastes alright, too. I have never made it before.” 

“i never would’ve guessed. you look like a professional.”  Now I know he must be joking. I am only standing here and stirring every few minutes.

“MY BROTHER IS RIGHT! ALTHOUGH YOU COULD HAVE MADE IT FASTER BY TURNING UP THE HEAT ALL THE WAY, YOU REALLY LOOK LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!” Well, now I am just confused. Papyrus is not one to tell such jokes, nor is he one to make things up like this.

“I appreciate your compliments. Honestly, I am only going off the recipe I once read.”  

“IT MUST BE A REALLY GOOD RECIPE!”

The spaghetti finally finishes cooking so I drain the water and serve it onto three plates.

“WOWIE, NOT-HUMAN! THIS LOOKS AMAZING.” 

“Thank you, Papyrus.”  I will give him that; it does look appetizing. I have no idea why, though.  All of us sit down at the table and start eating. I am a bit nervous it did not turn out well. This _was_ my first time cooking, after all, and it was no more than cooked noodles without any sauce or seasoning. Sans and Papyrus both take a bite, but I hesitate. Both of the brothers’ faces light up. 

“holy cow, this is amazing, evie.” 

“IT CERTAINLY IS, NOT HUMAN! I DARE SAY THAT IT’S EVEN BETTER THAN MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS’ SPAGHETTI! WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO COOK LIKE THIS?” 

“I am sure that it is not that good,”  I take a bite of my own. It tastes… incredible, but I do not understand. It is _only_ cooked noodles. “It seems I was mistaken, but why?”  

“you tell us. you’re the one who made it.”

“I have no idea.”

“NOT-HUMAN! YOU MUST TEACH ME HOW TO COOK LIKE THIS!”

“Perhaps one day I can.”   We pleasantly converse as we eat. A few more baffling compliments fit their way into the conversation. I finish first and get up to put my dish in the abnormally tall sink in the kitchen. I have to leap up in order to gently place my plate in it. I ask Papyrus why the sink is so tall. All he said was that it gave move room to store all his attacks. He told me I could take a look if I wanted to so I do. As soon as I open the cabinet door, a flood of bones pour out all over the kitchen floor.

“Oh goodness! I am terribly sorry. I had no idea they were all going to spill out like that.”

“WHOOPSIE DOOPSIE! I GUESS I PUT TOO MANY OF THEM IN THERE. I’LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE SINK TALLER LATER. FOR NOW THEY CAN GO UP IN MY ROOM.” Somehow he manages to carry all of them in his arms.

“Do you need any help, Papyrus?”

“DON’T BE SILLY, NOT-HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN HANDLE SOMETHING AS TRIFLE AS A FEW BONE ATTACKS!”

“Well, if you say so.”   Papyrus marched up the stairs, bones in tote, leaving Sans and me by ourselves. Being alone with him made things all the more difficult. I wanted so badly to be nearer to him, to hold him in my arms, but I refuse to let myself give in to my desires. What would Sans think of me if I were to throw myself on him like that? I would make him uncomfortable, and he would probably never want to talk to me again.

“so, whatcha been up to lately?”  Snas asks placing his chin in his hand.

“Same as before. I need to find my way out of the Underground.”

“you’re not doing a very good job by cooking for us.”

“Ahaha, I know, but how can I say no to face like Papyrus’?”

“true.”

“How about you Snas? What have you been doing as of late?”

“oh, you know, same ol’ same ol’. my brother really seems to like you.”

“Is that so? I am glad. I like him too. He reminds me of my own brother.”

“i didn’t know you have a brother.”

“ _ Had… _ He died a few years ago.”

“oh, i’m sorry. you must really miss him.”

“Yes, very much. He was the best thing to ever happen to me. I’d give almost anything to bring him back.”

“i’d probably do the same if something ever happened to paps. what happened, if i may ask?” 

“My brother was killed by a band of hunt- by a group of terrible people.”

“that’s awful.”

“It is… There is nothing I can do about it now, though, so I might as well just keep smiling. There is no use talking about it and getting all sad again.”

Sans looks like he is about to say something, but Papyrus flies down the stair, interrupting whatever more he had to say. He takes the cleared plates still on the table and puts them in the sink before dragging Snas and me to the large green sofa in front of the tv. He sits in between the two of us and turns the tv on to a rectangular robot with a grid of yellow and red lights acting as a face and two arms with a white glove on either hand. It balances on a single wheel. I hear Sans groan, apparently not a fan of the robot. According to Papyrus, the show is called “Cooking With a Killer Robot” and Mettaton, the robot, is making a cake. I wonder who would give him his own cooking show when he clearly had no idea how to cook _. _ He puts way too much baking soda and salt. He also adds glitter, of all things, to the batter. Now I know where Papyrus got the idea to put glitter in his spaghetti. On top of his terrible cooking skills Mettaton is entirely full of himself. Rose petals constantly fall around him as he poses dramatically. I do not understand how anyone could possibly like Mettaton. However, I do not complain aloud due to Papyrus’ obvious admiration of the robot.

I feel Snas’ stare on me as if he is trying to read me. I do not look at him directly, but I can see him out of the corner of my eye. It takes everything I have to keep myself from switching places with Papyrus. We sit there and watch Mettaton poorly make several different things for about two hours before the clock pings notifying the house that it is eight o’clock. Papyrus shuts off the tv and declares it to be his bedtime. Sans starts to get up, but Papyrus stops him. 

“I WANT OUR NOT-HUMAN FRIEND TO READ ME MY BEDTIME STORY TONIGHT, IF THAT’S ALRIGHT WITH YOU, NOT-HUMAN?” I am a bit surprised by the offer. Nevertheless I agree, and Papyrus scoops me up- he is surprisingly strong for someone so young- and carries me to his bedroom. I wait outside as he goes to put pajamas on. Less than a minute later, Papyrus opens the door with his pajamas on, and I go in. He hops into his race car-shaped bed and snuggles into his covers.

“Alright, Papyrus. Which book would you like me to read to you.”  I ask, scanning the bookshelf opposite his bed.

“ACTUALLY, NOT-HUMAN, I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD SING ME A LULLABY. YOUR VOICE IS SO PRETTY. SO WILL YOU PLEASE SING FOR ME?” 

“Oh, uh, I suppose so.”  I sit on the side of Papyrus’ bed and think of something to sing. It is a song Michael used to like. I would sing it to him during our time in hiding. My Soul appears before us and plays the melody.

 

**Close your eyes, fill your head**

**Rest your body on the bed**

**Dream of roads that lie unlead**

**Dream of words unsaid**

 

**I will keep you safe at night**

**I'll turn every wrong to right**

**And I will stay from dark to light**

**And I will hold you tight**

 

**Though you're young and free**

**You're a part of me**

**To you will come no harm**

**While you're in my arms**

 

**Close your eyes, fill your head**

**Rest your body on the bed**

**I will keep my child in sight**

**I will hold you tight**

 

My soul plays the last note and quickly makes its way back into me. By the time the song is over, Papyrus is fast asleep. I smile softly at him, gently tucking him in, and get up. When I go downstairs, Snas is fast asleep as well. I had not directed my lullaby exclusively toward Papyrus so this was expected; Snas just happens to be asleep on the floor. I gently pick him up and lie him on the sofa. I sigh and smile sadly at him before leaving the brothers’ house. I really will miss them when I leave the Underground.

I go back to the clearing in the woods and rest beneath a tree. My thoughts are filled completely with Sans. I really have fallen in love with him, have I not? I close my sleepless eyes and wait for morning to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Old Lullaby, by Johannes Bornlöf


	13. Chapter 13

**sans**

 

I teleport home after my shift at the hotdog stand, expecting the house to smell like Papyrus’ burnt cooking, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find the house smelling really good, like actual eatable food. There’s no way Paps is the one cooking which means someone else is cooking. My Soul does a flip in the familiar presence of the unseeing chef. Paps is standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and I join him after tossing my hoodie onto the couch. Evie is standing over a pot of boiling water, stirring its contents every-so-often. The air starts to get tense with silence. Evie thankfully breaks it with small talk.

Eventually Evie finishes when she’s cooking, which turns out to be spaghetti (no surprise there), and serves a plate for all of us. It smells really good. Evie can’t seem to understand why. It’s  adorable kind of funny. I don’t think she realizes how amazing she is. I mean, sure the spaghetti she made is simple, but since it’s made of magic, it reflects on her abilities. I wonder where she learned to cook like that. The spaghetti tastes as good as it smells. Evie finishes first and gets up to put her plate in the sink. I watch as she jumps up then float back down. It’s pretty much the most graceful thing I’ve ever seen.

After an incident with Paps’ bone attacks, he runs upstairs to put them away. Evie tells me that he reminds her of the brother she had. She tells me how he was killed and how much she misses him. She looks devastated. The way she seems to get consumed by grief almost splits my Soul in two. I never want her to go through anything like that ever again. I want to say something to make her feel better, but she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, and Papyrus comes back downstairs so the conversation ends.

Papyrus drags us to the couch after clearing the table. I groan as he puts on Mettaton’s awful cooking show. That over-sided calculator is more overrated than all of his merchandise combined. Instead of paying attention to the show, my gaze falls onto Evie. She’s sitting completely still, unmoving and unblinking. I can’t really tell if she’s actually watching the show or if she’s staring at the walls around the tv. There’s something about her that makes me want to drop everything in my life to focus on making her happy. 

I still want to know what she is. Why won’t she tell me? I guess it’s not that important, really. She sure is beautiful, whatever she is. And funny. And smart. And has an amazing voice. And is just amazing in general. I hardly know her, yet I can’t stop wanting to be around her. What’s wrong with me? I try to push Evie out of my thoughts, but she just keeps coming back. It doesn’t help that she’s in my living room. I wonder what she’s thinking right now. She’s so hard to read. Her face is pretty much expressionless. 

We sit there for a few hours maybe before the clock strikes eight. Papyrus turns off the tv and announces it’s his bedtime. I get up to read Paps his bedtime story, but he stops me saying he wants Evie to read it to him tonight. Evie seem a bit surprised but agrees to anyway. I watch them go upstairs from the couch. Papyrus has Evie wait outside his door while he changes into his pajamas, coming out again after less than a minute. They start talking about something, though I can’t understand them from here. I get up to grab a bag of popato chisps when music begins playing, and Evie starts singing. I stop in my tracks as her voice rings through the whole house. I will never get tired of her voice. Ironically, though, I’m feeling  _ really _ tired, right now. I don’t think I’ve ever felt  _ this _ tired before. I start to sway as Evie’s song lulls me to sleep. I feel myself falling, but I’m already asleep before I hit the ground.


	14. Chapter 14

**Evelyn**

 

I have made up my mind. I have to leave today. No more stalling. I cannot endanger the monsters with my presence any longer. First, I should tell Alphys she will not be able to study me. I take out the phone she gave me and call Alphys to tell her my decision. 

“H-h-hello?”

“Hello, Doctor Alphys. This is Evelyn.”

“Oh, h-hi, Evelyn. I’m guessing you’re calling to tell me your decision, r-right? ” 

“Yes, I am, and I am sorry, but I must deny you the chance to study me. I _really_ have to get out of the Underground. You know what I am so I hope you understand. I do not want to hurt anyone.” 

“O-Oh… Yes, I understand… I can still guide you through Hotland, though, that is i-i-if you want.” 

“That would be very helpful. I would appreciate your guidance. Thank you. I will call you back when I arrive in Hotland.”

“Y-you’re welcome. And I-I’ll talk to you when you get here. Bye, Evelyn. ”  

“Goodbye, Doctor Alphys.”  I hang up the phone and stand up. I avoid anyone looking for a conversation, including Snas and Papyrus. I cannot have any more distractions. The River Person brings me to Hotland, and from there I call Alphys back, cringing at the terrible smell of the area.

“H-hi, Evelyn.”

“Hello again, Doctor Alphys. I am at the crossroads in front of your laboratory. Where should I go from here.”  

“Hold on just a second… There. Now I can see you on my monitor. Um, g-go straight. On your left will be an elevator.” I follow Alphys’ directions and head walk toward the elevator. Stepping in I notice that it is slightly larger than the average elevator on the Surface but with slightly more confusing buttons. 

“Which floor do I go to?” 

“P-press the button that says, uh, L-Left Floor 3.”  I press the button as directed and wait for it to bring me to the third floor. The air is cooler as I step out of the elevator. It smells much better on this floor than the first floor.  “Just follow the path from h-here. I’ll tell you when to turn.”   There is a small table set out to the side with a humanoid, purple spider sitting at it. She appears to be advertising a bake sale. I do not pay attention to the bake sale as I am in a hurry. I follow the path which takes me to a puzzle type floor. The floor his split into many part with small air vents with arrows on them. I think the vents blow anyone stepping on the arrow in the direction it points. I test my theory out of curiosity. I was correct, but I do not have time to follow along with the puzzle. I quickly jump to the other side, avoiding the rest of the puzzle. 

“W-wow,” says Alphys, quietly, not meaning for me to hear. Continuing down the path I make it to an odd smelling area. The smell suggests an abundance of spiders. “Um th-there’s no service past that door so I-I’ll have to call you back once you make it through.” 

“Okay.”   I step through a door, and the call with Alphys drops. The room is black and purple with spiderwebs scattered throughout it. I hear the pitter-pattering of many tiny feet giving me a clue as to how many spiders live in this area. I must be very careful as I walk because I do not want to accidentally step on a spider. It is not right to take an innocent life even if many people think spiders awful creatures. 

“Ahuhuhu,”  a voice laughs.  “Did you hear what they said?” 

“They said a human wearing a grey jacket would come through.” 

“I heard they hate spiders.” 

“I heard they love to tear their legs off.” 

“I heard that they're awfully stingy with their money.”  Where could they have heard such lies? I do not hate spiders, and I certainly do not tear off their legs. As for the money? I do not have any so how could I possibly be stingy with it when I do not have any? The humanoid spider I saw earlier drops down from the ceiling.

“ Ahuhuhu. You think your taste is to refined for our pastries, don't you, deary? Ahuhuhu. I disagree with that notion. I think your taste is exactly what this next batch needs!”  The familiar tugging sensation is felt in my chest, and my soul appears before us. 

“I am terribly sorry Miss, but I believe you must be mistaken. None of what you say is true about me. If you are referring to when I passed your bake sale without buying anything you should know that I was both in a hurry and had no money.”  

“Lies!”  she spits. She conjures up many spider based attacks and sends them my way. I easily dodge out of the way of the attacks. 

“Please, Miss, do not attack me. I do not wish to hurt you.”  

“Why must you insist on lying, deary? We both know you would love nothing more than to stomp on every last one of us.”  She throws more attacks at me which I dodge with ease. Talking does not seem to do me any good. I wonder if I could just leave? Probably not _.  _ More attacks fly my way. Just as I start to become frustrated by the spider’s stubbornness, a small spider scurries up to the one attacking me. In a squeaky voice it tells her that there has all been a misunderstanding. Apparently someone had seen me and began spreading nasty rumors. It turns out Snas had heard them and told the little spider that the rumors were false and that I would never hurt anyone on purpose, especially not so morbidly as tearing off a spider’s legs. 

“Oh my! I'm terribly sorry, deary! What a rude monster someone must be to spread false rumors.. Have a nice day now~”  The larger spider crawls away, leaving me by myself again. Well, that was certainly… interesting _. _ I continue through the room until I reach the exit.


	15. Chapter 15

The putrid smell of sweat and body odor returns as soon as I step out of the spider area. My face reflexively scrunches up in disgust as the scent fills my nostrils. I immediately halt my breath to avoid the stench. Unfortunately for me, Alphys calls me back which meant I'd have to talk which in turn meant I had to breathe in the awful smell. 

“Hello again. Where to next?”  I say. 

“Hiya.  Just go straight till you reach the fork in the road. T-turn left there. You’ll have to pass through MTT resort to get to-”  I hear Alphys squeal then giggle.  “Uhhhh s-something just came up. I’ll call you back later.”  Before I can respond, the call ends, leaving me with very suspicious feeling about the doctor’s true motive. No one squeals and giggles for just anything. I put the phone in my hoodie pocket and continue forward. At the fork, I turn left as Alphys had instructed. A large, violet-blue building stands proudly at the end of the path. The letters “MTT” are written in a fancy golden font above the door. A golden image of Mettaton is on either side of the letters. A red carpet is rolled out in front of the door. And I thought the rose petals and dramatic poses were over the top.

My gaze falls on the monster standing casually next to the building as if they were waiting for someone. With my luck, you can probably guess who it is. I knew you were up to something, Doctor Alphys. She must have seen Snas on her monitor. My Soul flutters as we make eye contact. I walk up to Snas, barely able to keep my own two legs from breaking out into a full on sprint. 

“heya, evie,”  he greets as I get close enough. 

“Hello, Snas. What are you doing here? I do not see a work post.”  

“i heard you were headed to the core. i, uh, was wondering if you maybe wanted to grab dinner with me?”  A shade of light blue dusts his cheekbones as he asks this. Judging by his sudden rise in body temperature I believe that means he is blushing.  _ Say no. You do not have time for this. Come on, say no. _

“I would love to, blueberry face.”   _Of course, that is what you say._ I just cannot bring myself to say no to him. My comment on his blush makes it darken and spread across his cheekbones. His permanent, lazy grin widens upon my acceptance. 

“great. come this way. i know a shortcut.”  I follow him down the side of the building to what seems to be a brick wall at the end. Before we reach the wall, the world fall underneath me for a split second, and everything looks like thick blue mist. The odd sensation is over just as suddenly as it began, and Snas and I are sitting at a table in what appears to be a fancy restaurant. The world seems to freeze around me, and all I can see is Snas sitting across from me at a small, well kempt table.

“well, here we are.” 

I shake my head.“You and your strange shortcuts.”  

“so, your journey’s almost over, huh?” Snas’ smile falls. “you must really wanna go home.”

 **“** Snas **…”**

“hey, i know the feeling, evie. but maybe… maybe it’s best to take what’s given to ya…” His words cause me to frown. “down here ya got food, drink, friends...” I look down at my lap. “is what you have up there… really worth it? you said it yourself, the surface sucks.” 

“Sans…”  

“ah, forget it… i’m rootin’ for ya, evie.”  Looking back at Sans, I see sadness in his eyes. I did not know I meant enough to him for him to be sad that I will be leaving soon.  “anyways, i was hoping we could exchange numbers so we can keep in touch when you leave. i’d hate to lose a great friend like you.” 

“Yes, of course.”  We trade phones and put our number each other’s contacts. I put my name in as Evie with a few smiley faces while Snas takes a more creative route, naming himself “The King of Skele-puns.” 

“I find your contact name quite _humerus_.” 

“ _ tibia _ honest, i thought it was rather fitting.” 

“It is a fitting name and that is no _fibula_.”  We laugh at our terrible puns like huge dorks. “I am really going to miss you, Snas,”  I admit when our laughter dies down.

“yeah, me too, evie. ya sure you can’t stay?” 

“Unfortunately, I am. I must go back. Although I cannot tell you my reasons, I can tell you that you will be much better off without me.”  

“what are talking about? why would you say something like that, evie?” 

I sigh sadly. “Let us just say I am not the ‘good guy’ in this story.”  

“what could possibly make you think that? you’ve been great so far. you helped paps out, and everyone you’ve met seems to like you.” 

“It is because of what I am, Sans. Maybe someday, if we ever meet again, I will tell you what I am, and you will understand why I had to leave, but for now, I would like you to remember me just as I am, as your friend. I do not want to be remembered for what I am.”  

This time it is Sans who sighs.  “alright. i doubt what you are will change how i feel, but i respect your wish. i’ll remember you as the amazing singer, chef, and jokester you are.” 

“Thank you, Sans. That means more to me than you know.”  

“welp, looks like my break’s over. i gotta go now. i hope i see you again.” 

“I hope so too.”  With that, he gets up and disappears in a familiar cloud of blue mist.


	16. Chapter 16

The rest of the world seems to fall back into view. It feels as if no time has passed. I get up, hardly paying any mind to the fact we ordered no food, and casually walk out of the restaurant into a room with a yellowish checkered floor and peachy-yellow walls. In the middle of the room is a fountain with Mettaton spitting water all over the floor. Any other time, I would have found that comical. Today, I am not in the mood. My Soul aches. I am almost to the end of my journey. I will be leaving soon which also means I will be leaving Snas forever… The thought practically kills me. Stupid mind! Why did you have to imprint on someone you know you cannot be with? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I sigh in frustration and sadness and push my thoughts away. I need to call Doctor Alphys again so she can tell me where to go next.

Regaining my composure, I pull out my phone. Before I have a chance to dial her number, my phone rings.  **“Hello, Alphys.”**

“H-hiya, Evelyn. Are you ready to continue?” 

“Yes. Can you see me on your monitor? I have no idea where I am right now.”  

“Yeah, I can see you. You’re the in MTT resort. G-go through the doorway on your left. It’ll take you to the core which is where you have to go through in order to get to A-Asgore’s castle.”  I follow her instructions and go through the doorway.  “Take the elevator here” 

“Which floor?”  

“There’s o-only one button in this elevator. Be careful when you step out, though. There’s a ledge, a-and it doesn’t have r-railings.” 

“Okay. I will.”  I step into the elevator as directed. It takes me up, opening its door when it stops. 

“Now g-go through that doorway. It should take you to the capital.” 

“Where do I go from there?” 

“So, uh, A-Asgore didn’t want me to put any cameras in New Home for s-some reason which means you’ll have to find your way through without my help. B-but don’t worry! If you just follow the main road, y-you should end up at the palace.”

“Oh, okay then. Thank you for all your help.”  

“No p-problem. I-I guess this is goodbye, then.” 

“Yes, I believe it is. I do so hate goodbyes, though, so let us just think of this as ‘see you later.’”  

“Y-yeah! See you later!”  We hang up our phones. I go through the doorway leading to the capital. The whole area is made of different shades of grey stone. This new area is huge with a large, paved road with several unpaved paths branching out to different parts of the area.  Eventually I come across a place much like Toriel’s house. The only difference is the grey stone instead of purple and the abundance of golden flowers around the large building in front of me. There is a note taped to the door. “ _ Howdy! Come right in.” _ Inside, it is identical to Toriel’s house apart from color. I wonder what their connection with each other is. It cannot be a coincidence that their houses are practically identical. 

I sense that Asgore is not in this house right now, but he is close by. There is another note next to a set of stair leading to what is probably a basement. “ _ Howdy! I’m in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, feel free to come down and talk to me.”  _ The note proves my suspicion. Down the stairs is a long hallway with another elevator at the end. I ignore the elevator, sensing it is not the correct way to go, and turn on a path next to it. The path leads to a room full of fragrant golden flowers. In the center of the room stands a large goat-like monster with broad shoulders. It has two ivory-colored, curved horns protruding out of a golden-blonde mane of fur. A crown sits atop its head.  _ Asgore.  _ Asgore’s back faces me as he waters the flower garden. I clear my throat to get his attention.  

“Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers.”  A few moments later, Asgore turns to face me. “Here we are! Howdy! How can I- erm what kind of monster are you? Sorry, I cannot tell. I do not think I have ever seen such a human-like monster before. If I could not sense your Soul, I might think you  _ are _ a human.” 

“I am no monster of the Underground. My name is Evelyn. I fell down here from the Surface, and I must leave immediately.”  

“Oh. You are from the Surface. That would explain your Soul. It is not like a monster Soul, but it is not quite like a human Soul either. Still, you have a very strong Soul, Evelyn. It could be what we need to break the barrier… to free my people.” 

"Your majesty, I am afraid that would not work. From the minimal knowledge I have of Souls, I believe one must die in order for their Soul to be taken, am I correct?”

“Well, yes, but where are you going with this?” 

“You see, I cannot die. It is simply not possible. Believe me, if it were, I would not be here right now.”  

“I am afraid I do not understand what you mean.” 

“Your majesty, must I spell it out for you? I am an immortal creature.”   

“Hmm… Evelyn, what are you?” 

“I am what is known as a vampire.”  I cringe in disgust of my species.

“Forgive me, but I do not know what that is.” 

“Vampires are a despised creature among humanity. We feed on blood, killing our victims as they are drained. Despite my nature, I do not want to hurt anyone. That is why I must exit the Underground. There are other, more humane, sources of food for me on the Surface. Down here, as much as I do not want to hurt anyone, I am still a danger to all monsters.”

“I see… I cannot have you killing any of my people. Follow me, Evelyn. I will show you to the barrier.”  It does not take long to get there. The barrier pulses with powerful magic.  “Usually a human Soul combined with a monster Soul is needed to pass through, but I think your Soul may be strong enough for you to pass through on your own.” 

“Thank you for taking me here, your majesty. Goodbye, now,”  I say, walking up to the barrier. I take a deep breath and step through the barrier. There is a loud crackle like electricity and a bright flash of light. Then everything goes black.


End file.
